Epilepsy

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Epilepsy

Epilepsy, also known as seizure disorder, is a common disease of the brain affecting about 1 percent of the population. It can affect any person at any age. More than 36,000 Mississippians live with epilepsy. Recognized as the state’s only level 4 epilepsy center accredited by the National Association of Epilepsy Centers, University of Mississippi Medical Center provides comprehensive testing and treatment for patients of all ages.

University Comprehensive Epilepsy Center is dedicated to the care of people with epilepsy. The center offers state-of-the-art medical and surgical treatment of seizures/epilepsy in adults and children. Our goal is to help patients gain control of seizures and optimize their quality of life.

Diagnosis, treatment and referrals

A full complement of advanced diagnostic tests is available for seizures diagnosis, classification, and evaluation for surgical treatment of epilepsy. The center's inpatient epilepsy monitoring unit combines video and EEG monitoring of patients to determine epilepsy type, number and location of seizures. Results of the monitoring tests are supplemented by other diagnostic procedures, including MRI, SPECT, neuropsychological tests, Wada test, and PET scanning. Surgical treatments include temporal lobe resection, extratemporal cortical resection, hemispherictomies, corpus callosal resection, and deep brain stimulation as well as VNS.

Patients benefit from the intervention of an experienced multidisciplinary team that includes neurologists, neurosurgeons, neurophysiologist, neuroradiologists, EEG technologists, clinical nurse specialists, neuropsychologists, and psychiatrists. Any patient who is not responding to medical therapy is appropriate for referral to University Comprehensive Epilepsy Center.

Patients may be referred by a physician or self-referred.

Our team

As one of the premier epilepsy centers in the country, we provide our patients with a team of health care providers that address not only immediate medical concerns, but also psychological, social, and financial issues. Our team consists of epileptologists, neurosurgeons, neuropsychologists, physician assistants, nurse practitioners, nurse clinicians, EEG technologists, social workers, and a recreational therapist.

Clinical facilities

Clinical care facilities at University Comprehensive Epilepsy Center include:
  • Adult epilepsy monitoring unit beds for long- or short-term continuous closed-circuit television/electroencephalographic (CCTV/EEG) recording
  • Adult outpatient ambulatory care facilities
  • Adult EEG laboratories
  • PET scanning facilities
  • Anatomic and functional MRI facilities
  • SPECT scanning facilities (for ictal and interictal studies)
  • Neuropsychology

Clinical services

The professional staff of University Comprehensive Epilepsy Center includes neurologists, pediatric neurologists, neurosurgeons, pediatric neurosurgeons, neuropsychologists, psychiatrists, nurse practitioners, social workers, and EEG technologists - all of whom have special expertise in epilepsy.

Our staff work with community physicians, other hospitals, and community agencies to optimize treatment and provide appropriate services for patients with uncontrolled seizures or special problems related to epilepsy.

The facilities at the center and the expertise of our staff allow staff to:

  • Establish a definitive diagnosis in patients with paroxysmal symptoms of uncertain cause
  • Establish optimal medication regimens to maximize seizure control and minimize side-effects
  • Identify patients with medication-resistant seizures for surgical treatment alternatives
  • Localize epileptic brain regions for resective surgery
  • Map vital or eloquent brain areas in relation to the epileptogenic area
  • Perform epilepsy surgery
  • VNS for non-resective surgery
  • Conduct detailed neuropsychological evaluations
  • Monitor anti-epileptic drugs and their metabolites in relation to seizures, cognitive function, other drugs, and environmental or physiological factors that affect anti-epileptic drug disposition
  • Conduct clinical trials of investigational new drugs
  • Diagnose and treat psychogenic seizures
  • Offer a range of rehabilitation and psychosocial services and referrals
In addition, the center conducts ongoing clinical research programs in epilepsy as well as new diagnostic methods and treatments.

Epilepsy Wellness