University of Washington Regional Epilepsy Center at Harborview Medical Center

Care for all Types of Uncontrolled Epilepsy

Chronic recurrent seizures (epilepsy) impact the lives of more than 2.5 million people in the United States. While primary care and emergency physicians often initially diagnose and treat epilepsy, referral to a neurologist may be considered if seizures are not controlled within three months. If seizures cannot be controlled within one year, referral to a specialty epilepsy center is usually recommended. Epilepsy centers affiliated with a university medical school have capabilities in diagnosing and treating all types of uncontrolled epilepsy and offer care for the most complex and difficult seizure problems.

Fortunately, most people with epilepsy eventually respond to treatment and can return to normal lives. Newly developed treatments and surgery make it possible to control seizure disorders once thought to be untreatable. However, many who could be helped with these treatments are not currently receiving them.

The Program

Our Regional Epilepsy Program is a system-wide, integrated, multidisciplinary program for the comprehensive clinical care of epilepsy, including:

Conventional, as well as new, innovative electrodiagnostic and brain imaging methods to correctly diagnose seizures and determine their underlying cause.

All conventional medical and dietary treatments

New (investigational) antiepileptic drug treatments

Neurosurgical treatment

Vagus nerve stimulator implantation and management

Neuropsychological effects of epilepsy on neurocognitive and emotional functioning

Education, counseling, and job placement.

Wada assessments to determine lateralization of speech and memory

Specialists in adult and pediatric neurology, neurosurgery, neuroradiology and neuropsychology, as well as nurses, social workers, vocational rehabilitation specialists and electrodiagnostic technicians, function as a team to diagnose and treat difficult seizure problems. The centers work in partnership with referring physicians across the Northwest and the rest of the United States to diagnose and treat all types of seizure disorders among children and adults.

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