Gillette Childrens Specialty Healthcare is a regional leaderin pediatric neurology and neurosurgery. Our Center for Pediatric Neurosciences offers expert diagnoses and treatments for seizures and epilepsy in children and teens. Our goal is to work closely with families to provide the most effective management and best care for children who have epilepsy.
Many of our patients who have epilepsy also have complex associated conditions, such as cerebral palsy, developmental delays or traumatic brain injuries. Thats why we offer a large team of specialists and extensive support services. Our focus is on caring for the whole child.
Our brains have constant electrical activity in and between cells. A seizure is an abnormal electrical discharge in brain cells that causes a change in normal activity, behavior or movement.
Epilepsy is diagnosed when a person has two or more unprovoked seizures. A person who has only provoked seizures (febrile seizures, seizures after head trauma) will not receive an epilepsy diagnosis.
Epilepsy can have many causes. The neurologist will order tests to help determine why a child has epilepsy. Some of the known causes for epilepsy include:
Seizures range from mild to severe. Indications that a person is having a seizure include:
We use many methods to evaluate patients who have seizures. Our goal is to determine the types of seizures occurring and to uncover their underlying cause. This allows us to develop the most effective treatment plan.
When evaluating patients for seizures and epilepsy, we use a classification system developed by the International League Against Epilepsy (ILAE). The system outlines a logical evaluation process and provides terms that we use to describe our findings.
Our methods of classifying our findings are consistent with those used by many other providers worldwide. The ILEA calls each classification category an axis.
To support our five-axis approach to diagnosis, we conduct a number of evaluations:
Our specialists might order a number of tests to support diagnosis, including:
Gillette offers a variety of treatment options for epilepsy, with interventions selected to best suit each child.
Medical treatments can include antiepileptic medications. At Gillette, our comprehensive diagnostic evaluations help us identify which medications are best suited to treat a patients seizures. In some cases, exploring various medications and doses helps our patients achieve the best possible results.
For some patients with severe epilepsy, a strictly controlled diet can decrease or eliminate seizures. Gillette specializes in providing the following highly controlled dietary treatments for epilepsy:
Some patients who have epilepsy benefit from implantation of a vagus nerve stimulator (VNS) to control seizures. Our neurosurgeons specialize in that procedure, having implanted more than 100 VNS devices. We also offer consultations, support and referrals for patients who might benefit from other neurosurgical procedures.
Patients who experience seizures or have epilepsy need complete diagnostic services and a team of experts to provide comprehensive care.
At Gillette, a patients core seizure and epilepsy or first seizure evaluation team typically includes experts in:
Patients who experience seizures or have epilepsy often also receive care from providers in the following specialties and services:
We also provideEpilepsy Life Stages visitsa framework for helping families learn about the important steps to take as children grow.
Working together, we treat the whole childnot just the seizures.
For more information about Gillettes services, search Conditions and Care.
The sites below offer educational information, resources, and advocacy events and news for people who have epilepsy, their families and their communities.
At our St. Paul Campus, our Health Resources and Education area maintains a library of books, videos and other materials about epilepsy and other health care topics.
From our collection, we recommend the following books for school-age children:
From our collection, we recommend the following resources for teens:
Continue reading here:
Epilepsy and Seizures | Gillette Children's Specialty Healthcare