| The first step in the diagnostic process is to verify the diagnosis and classify the seizure. For instance, many patients come to the Epilepsy Monitoring Unit to rule out the possibility of Pseudoseizures which are psychological events that can be mistaken for epileptic seizures.
Others come because they have seizures that need to be accurately classified and diagnosed in order to better plan their treatment.
This involves the identification of any underlying cause such as tumor, arterio-venous malformations or Hippocampal Atrophy.
All evaluations start by taking a thorough history of the patient. This is followed by a complete physical and neurological examination and by an EEG (including, sometimes, the use of special |
electrodes such as sphenoidals) that records the electrical activity of the brain and identifies abnormal areas of brain activity. Some patients need Long Term Video-EEG Monitoring (LTM) for proper diagnosis and planning of their treatment.
Advanced imaging such as high resolution MRI & MRS (Magnetic Resonance Spectoscopy), that are available to patients evaluated in the program, can be very valuable in the diagnosis. Other diagnostic tests include CT scan and SPECT that help in detecting brain lesions and epileptic foci.
In addition to those services available at AUB, referrals for PET (Positron Emission Tomograghy) can be arranged if needed for selected patients.
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