Epilepsy Diagnostic Services
Diagnosis and treatment of epilepsy
The Comprehensive Epilepsy Center offers several different treatment options for all types of epilepsy and seizure disorders. Your epilepsy team may recommend more than one treatment method, depending on your child's needs.
Medications
Children who are diagnosed with epilepsy will be started on medication to control the seizures. There are many medications currently used to treat epilepsy.
Our clinical team will prescribe the most effective medication based on your child's age, type of epilepsy/seizures, and health history. Medications do not cure epilepsy. They control seizures by calming the brain down and making it less likely to have abnormal electrical activity, which results a seizure.
All the medications we prescribe carry risks for side effects. Your provider will work with you to manage these side effects. Our goal is always to have the best control of seizures with the least amount of side effects. The most common side effect noticed is increased sleepiness during the first one to two weeks of starting a new medication. This usually improves after your child’s body gets used to the new medication.
Diagnostic services
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Electroencephalogram (EEG): This is a test in which a recording device is connected by wires to electrodes pasted at certain spots on your child’s head. The electrodes read signals produced by electrical discharges in each area of the brain. During an EEG, your child may be asked to blow on a pinwheel to cause hyperventilation and/or look at flashing lights (photic stimulation). This is done to assess if these trigger an event.
Help you child find out what to expect during their EEG at Children's Mercy: -
Epilepsy Monitoring Unit (EMU): The Epilepsy Monitoring Unit (EMU) allows your child’s care team to continuously monitor their brain and body over the course of a one- to four-day hospital stay at Children’s Mercy Hospital Kansas. Doctors use video, audio and EEG in order to get a clearer picture of your child’s seizure activity, triggers, and reactions.
Help you child find out what to expect during their visit at the EMU at Children's Mercy: -
Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI): An MRI is a machine that takes detailed pictures of the structure of your child’s brain. This method uses magnets instead of radiation. This is used to evaluate for anything abnormal in the brain that could cause a seizure. Infants, young children, and children with developmental delays who cannot lie still for an extended period of time will need to be sedated for this test to allow for clear images to be taken.
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Genetic and metabolic testing: Genetic testing may be ordered to evaluate for specific syndromes or causes for your child’s epilepsy. These are blood tests that can be obtained from a simple blood draw. These tests often take 4-8 weeks to get results. For our patients with no known cause for epilepsy, we often order an “epilepsy panel” which tests for abnormalities in 35 genes that are known to cause epilepsy. Metabolic testing- both blood and urine testing may be ordered to assess for metabolic causes for your child’s epilepsy. This can identify abnormalities in how your child’s body uses amino acids, glucose, vitamins, or certain enzymes, which can cause seizures.
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Neuropsychological testing: Detailed and specific testing of learning skills and brain function provided by a neuropsychologist to assess how epilepsy may impact your child’s learning abilities. The results of the tests can be used to formulate a plan for enhancing learning and as a basis for an Individualized Education Plan (IEP) for school or to guide epilepsy surgery.
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Positron Emission Tomography scan (PET): A PET scan is similar to a CT scan, but it uses special techniques to produce color-coded pictures. These pictures show us how your child’s brain works. This includes blood flow, use of glucose for cell energy, and the presence of oxygen.
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Genetic and metabolic testing: Genetic testing may be ordered to evaluate for specific syndromes or causes for your child’s epilepsy. These are blood tests that can be obtained from a simple blood draw. These tests often take 4-8 weeks to get results. For our patients with no known cause for epilepsy, we often order an epilepsy panel which tests for abnormalities in 35 genes that are known to cause epilepsy. Metabolic testing, both blood and urine test, may be ordered to assess for metabolic causes for your child’s epilepsy. This can identify abnormalities in how your child’s body uses amino acids, glucose, vitamins, or certain enzymes, which can cause seizures.
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Wada testing: Wada test is a special test that is done to assess which parts of the brain are providing which functions. This is done in Radiology by using medication through an IV to put half of the brain “to sleep” and then performing verbal testing similar to the Neuropsychological evaluation. This is recommended for some surgical patients.
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Lumbar Puncture (LP): LP is a procedure that uses a needle to take fluid from around the spine. This may be an important test for your child to determine the cause of their epilepsy. This can be used to check for infections or abnormalities in the brain’s chemicals.