Diagnosis of Epilepsy

The epilepsy monitoring unit at Baylor Dallas provides continuous, 24-hour-a-day computer and video electroencephalography (EEG) monitoring in order to capture and record episodes that might be seizures. If activity is confirmed, the information can help identify the physical origin of seizures, which then may be localized within a particular region within the brain.

During a stay in the epilepsy monitoring unit at Baylor Dallas, recording equipment monitors the patient's brain activity. The patients brain activity is continuously recorded (electroencephalography or EEG) using wires attached to the patient throughout their stay, whether the patient is asleep or awake. In addition to the EEG monitoring, patients stay in close communication with the staff to alert them when they believe they are beginning to experience a seizure.

Depending on the results of the monitoring, more neuroimaging tests may be performed, including single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT), and positron emission tomography (PET) to further clarify the site of seizure onset. Additional tests help plan for surgery by localizing known sensitive brain areas, these include the Wada test, functional imaging and cortical mapping studies.

Brain mapping is a technique in which physicians use direct stimulation of the brain surface to determine the function of a particular area. This surgical planning is performed to preserve important brain functions, such as speech, sight and movement, and to lessen the risk of loss of function from the surgery. With the results of neuroimaging and brain mapping, physicians can determine if the patient is a candidate for surgical treatments for seizures.

At the Baylor Dallas epilepsy monitoring unit, patients are treated by a multidisciplinary team consisting of neurologists, neurosurgeons, and neuroradiologists on the medical staff, in addition to EEG technologists and specially trained nurses. The staff provides extensive education to help patients and family members understand symptoms, the epilepsy monitoring unit evaluation and treatment options.