Overview
Holy Name's Seizure Disorder Program takes a multidisciplinary approach to treating epilepsy. Our program focuses on both clinical and exploratory testing, which gives insight into the most appropriate treatment options for each patient to achieve the best outcomes.
The program is composed of epilepsy specialists including neurologists, neurosurgeons, psychiatrists, neuropsychologists, neuroradiologists, EEG technicians and nurses. Together, they provide our patients with the expertise and facilities necessary for the highest level of medical and surgical care in the treatment of seizure disorders and epilepsy. Their goal is to help adolescents and adults, along with their families, enjoy life without the effects of seizures.
What we treat:
- Epilepsy-focal, generalized, genetic
- Seizure Disorder
- Traumatic brain injuries that lead to seizure
- Seizures from post-stroke
- Syncope
- Episodic neurological changes
- Episodic confusion
What is a seizure?
Maintenance
The brain is composed of soft tissue and nerve cells, called neurons. These neurons communicate with each other through electrical signals. Seizures are caused by disturbances in these electrical signals that temporarily interrupt typical brain function. Seizures have many different characteristics, but typically involve unusual movements, or a change in a level of awareness and sometimes both.
When people think of seizures, they often visualize a person falling to the ground, uncontrollably shaking(convulsing). Although accurate, there are various types of seizure that may present in different ways, depending on where in the brain the seizure starts.
Types of Seizures:
- Shaking
- Twitches
- Confusion
- Blank staring
- Pain
- Changes in sensations (hearing, vision, taste)
- Changes in heart rate or breathing
- Stiffness
- Repeated/automatic movements; blinking
Seizure triggers:
- Tiredness, lack of sleep
- Stress
- Alcohol consumption or withdrawal
- Missing seizure medications dosing
- Adding newly prescribed medications, herbal supplements or vitamins
- Hormonal changes or imbalances
Some people are able to identify which triggers make them more susceptible to have a seizure. For those who are able to identify their triggers, they can be more mindful about avoiding them, helping to alleviate the potential risk for seizures.
Treatment options:
- Various Medications
- Vagal Nerve Stimulator
- Responsive Neurostimulator (RNS)
- Surgery- temporal lobe resection, lesionectomy, corpus callosotomy
