Epilepsy affects nearly one in 100 people and impacts countless others, including family members, caregivers and friends. It is defined as a condition of recurrent, unprovoked seizures. The seizures may occur for many reasons, including brain injury, birth defects, tumors, trauma, genetics and unknown causes.
Refractory epilepsy occurs when seizures persist despite adequate trials of two or more antiepileptic drugs (AEDs). This occurs in about 35% of patients, and those patients will continue to have sometimes debilitating seizures despite pharmacological treatment. The Refractory Epilepsy Clinic offers a broad range of evaluation services and state-of-the-art treatment for children who do not respond to conventional epilepsy medications. The clinic offers the following services:
- Evaluation of current medication(s), with suggestions for other drugs to eliminate seizures
- Evaluation for epilepsy surgery
- Evaluation and management of the ketogenic diet and other dietary treatments for epilepsy
- Electrical stimulation, which includes vagus nerve stimulation
Our Team
Our expert interdisciplinary epilepsy team includes:
- Pediatric epileptologists (neurologists specializing in the treatment of epilepsy and seizure disorders)
- Neurosurgeons
- Electroencephalogram (EEG) technicians
- Neuroradiologists
- Neuropsychologists
- Dietitians