Epilepsy Center

Comprehensive pediatric epilepsy care requires unique specialists, leading technology and a multidisciplinary team. At the Epilepsy Center at Nationwide Children’s Hospital, we take it to the highest level. That’s why the National Association of Epilepsy Centers has accredited us as a level-four epilepsy program—the highest level of epilepsy care.

In addition to standard services, we provide complex neurodiagnostic monitoring as well as neuropsychological and psychosocial evaluation and treatment. Our level-four designation also means offering advanced epilepsy surgery services, including evaluation with intracranial electrodes.

Epilepsy Services

• New Onset Seizure Clinic
• Complex Epilepsy Clinic
• Epilepsy Surgery

Advanced Epilepsy Technology

We use the latest technological advancements to diagnose epilepsy. Our video telemetry unit incorporates continuous EEG monitoring with simultaneous digital video recordings to timelock clinical events to the EEG. For children with intractable seizures, EEG recordings directly from the surface of the brain are available to map discrete lesions for possible surgical resection.

Diagnostic Studies

• Routine digital video EEG
• Round-the-clock, long-term video EEG monitoring in a unit specifically designed for children
• Evoked potentials
• Functional MRI and WADA studies for evaluating regions of eloquent cortex
• MRI with spectroscopy and diffusion analysis
• PET (positron emission tomography)
• SPECT (single photon emission computerized tomography)

Advanced Epilepsy Treatments

• Anticonvulsant drug evaluations and recommendations
• Epilepsy surgery
• Ketogenic diet
• Participation in drug trials of new or difficult to obtain anticonvulsant medications
• Surgical evaluations
• Vagal nerve stimulation and programming

Epilepsy Team Members

A major distinction of a level-four epilepsy center is the comprehensive nature of its services and professional team. We evaluate and care for children from the onset of seizures, through therapeutic interventions, and advanced epilepsy surgery when appropriate. Pediatric professionals include:

• Pediatric Neurologists/Epileptologists
• Pediatric Neuropsychologists/Psychologists
• Pediatric Neurosurgeons
• Pediatric Nurse Practitioners
• Child Life Specialists
• Clinical Pharmacists
• Epilepsy Foundation Educators
• Neurodiagnostic Technicians
• Neuroradiologists
• Nuclear Medicine Specialists
• Pathologists
• Social Workers