Epilepsy and Other Seizure Disorders

The Epilepsy Center at Community Medical Center, part of the Jay and Linda Grunin Neuroscience Institute is recognized by the NAEC as a Level 3 Epilepsy Center. Level 3 epilepsy centers have the professional expertise and facilities to provide the highest level medical evaluation and treatment for patients with complex epilepsy.

The Video-EEG Program at the Neuroscience Institute at Community Medical Center provides children, adolescents and adults with access to world-class technology to diagnose and treat convulsive disorders (seizures).

The Video-EEG Program is led by Board certified neurologists, including a fellowship-trained epileptologist, who is specially trained and highly experienced in seizure and EEG interpretation. Specially trained EEG technologists and nurses care for patients on our neuroscience unit and pediatric unit.

For patients with more severe conditions, care is available in the Intensive Care Unit. Community Medical Center's medical staff includes a host of internists and medical specialists who can help manage patients with complex medical conditions who might need video-EEG testing.

• Epilepsy is a neurological disorder marked by sudden recurrent episodes of sensory disturbance, loss of consciousness, or convulsions, associated with abnormal excessive synchronal electrical in the brain.
• Affects about 2 - 3 million people in the United States
• Children younger than age 2 and adults older than age 65 are particularly vulnerable because the risk factors for epilepsy are more common in these age groups

• 10% of Americans will experience a seizure sometime during their lives.
• Epilepsy can be caused by many different conditions that affect a person's brain including stroke, head trauma, complications during childbirth, infections (such as meningitis, encephalitis or brain abscess) and certain genetic disorders.
• Often, no definite cause can be found.
• Devastating Nature of the Illness
  • 1:10,000 epileptics will have SUDEP (sudden unexplained death in epilepsy)
  • Stigma in school and the workplace
  • Inability to obtain a driver's license
  • Daily medication and side effects
  • Fear of seizures and fear of the unknown
  • Personality and cognitive changes in the long term