Understanding Epilepsy

An estimated 50 million people worldwide have epilepsy - a neurological disorder characterized by seizures.  This common, but very complicated, ailment occurs when there is an abnormal, excessive amount of neuronal activity in the brain.  It is more likely to occur in young children, or people over 65; however, it can occur at any time.  Keck Hospital of USC’s Epilepsy Center of Excellence provides the latest treatments for patients challenged with epilepsy.

There are more than 40 different types of epilepsy with a variety of seizure types exhibited.  The USC Comprehensive Epilepsy Program is designed to:

• Provide personalized and customized care to each patient.
• Use the most innovative therapies and research protocols. 
• Access our diverse multi-disciplinary team to create treatment plans tailored to the specific needs of each patient.
• Involve family in the treatment plan to help them deal with the stress and anxiety that accompanies chronic illness, as well as provide education to help understand this complex disease.

Diagnosing Epilepsy

It’s complicated. At USC, patients benefit from a collaborative effort between neurology, neurosurgery, neuroradiology and neuropsychology. A thorough patient exam begins the process. Each of these disciplines is critical to the decisions made in the care of our patients.

Vital information can be learned from:

Neuroradiology
The primary mode of brain imaging is our 3T MRI scanner.  Also PET scanning and MRI/PET fusion have become valuable tools for epilepsy/surgical evaluation.

Neurophysiology
This is an inpatient opportunity to monitor and evaluate a patient’s seizures.  Scalp electrodes are used and there is no discomfort to the patient.  A video/EEG telemetry technology provides invaluable data to the neurological team.
Neuropsychology
An assessment is a key component to a patient’s evaluation.  This assessment helps tests cognitive abilities in an effort to help find the region in which the seizure originates.  If surgery is performed, this assessment process will help track the changes achieved.

Neurosurgery
If a patient’s seizure cannot be localized with scalp electrodes, the patient may be a good candidate for intracranial video/EEG monitoring.  The placement of the electrodes is done surgically.

Treatment Options

Both medication and surgical treatments are available depending on the type/severity of the seizures

Medications
The USC epileptologist is an expert at optimizing medication management of seizures and works with the individual to find the medication that works best with the least side effects.

Surgical Treatment
There is no cure for epilepsy. However, the physicians on staff at the USC Comprehensive Epilepsy program can use their surgical expertise to help patients improve management of this disorder. 

Epilepsy surgery – includes temporal lobectomey, lovar resection and lesionectomy, often performed with intra-operative monitoring.

Vagus Nerve Stimulation – a device that delivers regular electrical stimulation through the vagus nerve to the brain.  When implanted, it is designed to reduce seizure frequency.

Responsive Neurostimulation System – a device implanted cranially, utilizing electrodes to help decrease the number of seizures.  When the neurostimulator detects a seizure, it responds by sending electrical stimulation through leads to the seizure focus area, in an attempt to stop it.

GammaKnife Radiosurgery – this form of radiation surgery is an experimental protocol to treat temporal lobe epilepsy. Called the Rose Trial, this study will compare the outcomes of traditional surgery and radiosurgery.  USC is one of only 13 sites in the United States participating in this trial.

Patient Stories

Albert Delvalle: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mXJU4ziS48M

Debbie Mainwal: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jbb7yGcAwRI

Stella Kuyumjian: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wmtWqFFlVbE

Fight On!
Contact Us

Learn more about our neurosurgery physicians at Faculty.

Keck Hospital of USC
Department of Neurosciences
USC Comprehensive Epilepsy Program
(323) 442-5710
neuronursing@med.usc.edu