Diagnosis and treatment of childhood epilepsy

After my son started experiencing seizures, his pediatrician suggested that he might have epilepsy and has referred us to a specialist. What kinds of tests will be performed and what treatments are available?

It surprises many to hear that epilepsy affects more people than cystic fibrosis, multiple sclerosis, muscular dystrophy, and tuberculosis combined. More than three million Americans have epilepsy, which is the most common type of seizure disorder. Each year, 200,000 new cases are diagnosed and 45,000 of those diagnoses are in children under the age of 15. While epilepsy can begin at any age and strike at any time, it often starts in childhood.

Epilepsy is triggered by a recurrent electrical discharge in the brain that disturbs the normal functioning of the body’s nervous system, and can result in temporary loss of consciousness or temporary changes in behavior. An epileptic seizure can cause convulsive movements, loss of urinary continence, confusion, and lethargy.

If your physician suspects that your child has epilepsy, an accurate diagnosis of the condition is crucial before treatment can begin. In addition to a detailed documentation of your child’s medical history, a series of painless neurological tests will be administered to definitively diagnose the condition.

An electroencephalogram, which records brain waves through electrodes placed on the scalp, is often the first diagnostic tool. In conjunction with video monitoring, the electroencephalogram detects abnormalities in the brain’s “wiring,” or electrical activity. The video, which is available at major epilepsy centers like the one at New York Methodist Hospital, permits the study of brainwave activity at the same time that a seizure or “spell” is occurring. The test helps doctors to determine the nature of these seizures, as well as how to most effectively treat the condition.

Also used in the diagnosis of epilepsy are scans of the brain, which may include computed tomography, magnetic resonance imaging, functional magnetic resonance imaging, positron emission tomography, and single photon emission computed tomography.

A treatment plan will be based on your child’s specific needs. Doctors generally start by treating epilepsy with medication. If that doesn’t work, surgery or another type of treatment may be recommended. Surgery is most commonly performed when tests show that the seizures originate in a small, well-defined area of the brain that doesn’t interfere with vital functions like speech, language, or hearing.

Vagus nerve stimulation, which involves implanting a device in the chest to deliver short jolts of electrical energy to the brain, has been shown to decrease the frequency of seizures as well.

The emotional toll of seizures on children can be traumatic, and leave them with considerable anxiety about when their next seizure will occur. So finding the best treatment for children with epilepsy is also important to their psychological health. With the right approach, the vast majority of people with epilepsy are able to control their seizures, and should your son receive an epilepsy diagnosis, it’s important for him to understand that it’s very likely that he will still be able to lead a perfectly “normal” and happy life.

Relevant Directory Listings

See More

Extended Home Care

<p><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial; font-style: normal;" data-sheets-value="{" data-sheets-userformat="{">Extended Home Care is specially licensed to serve cognitively and neurologically impaired individuals across the age spectrum in all five boroughs. We offer in-home support to meet your family member's health, developmental and safety needs by providing Skilled Nursing, Home Health Aides, Physical Therapy, Occupational Therapy, Speech Therapy, and Social Work.</span></p>

Enabling Devices

<p><strong>Enabling Devices is a family-run business that designs, manufactures and sells adapted toys and accessible devices that make life more joyful and fulfilling for children and adults living with disabilities.</strong></p> <p> </p> <p>It started with a train set, a mercury switch, and a young boy whose therapist thought he couldn’t play with toys. In 1975 our founder, Dr. Steven Kanor, walked into a room at United Cerebral Palsy/Long Island and saw a boy sitting in a wheelchair, his head resting on his shoulder. When he asked where the toys were, the OT said, “He doesn’t have the motor skills to play with toys, and he can’t lift his head.” But Dr. Kanor was not interested in what the boy couldn’t do. He was interested in the boy's potential. The next morning, he was back. He’d brought a train set, which he’d connected to a mercury switch. The switch, the first capability switch he’d designed, was attached to the boy’s ear. When the boy raised his head, the switch made contact and the train ran around the tracks. After several weeks of playing with this toy, the boy was holding his head up straight, even when the train was not running. Dr. Kanor was elated.</p> <p>Since that day, he never stopped innovating, never stopped trying to make our products better, never stopped designing new devices. Today, our design team is just as passionate, just as creative, and just as committed to innovation as the man who founded this company. Enabling Devices is the place to find toys, devices and tools that help build more joyful, fulfilling lives. We have an extensive selection of adapted toys, capability switches, Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC) devices, adapted electronics, mounts, iPad products, sensory items and products for the visually impaired.</p> <p>Over the years, the important constants remain. We’re still the same small, family-run company Steven Kanor founded in 1978, with the same values of personal connection and deep product knowledge. We’re still committed to providing caring, individualized service to each customer. And we’re still grateful for the privilege of sharing in your journey.</p>

EBL Coaching

<div> <p>One-on-one HOME, CENTER, and ONLINE tutoring for grades preK-12 in reading, writing, math, study skills, executive functioning skills, and homework help. EBL offers specialized instruction for students with dyslexia, learning disabilities, and ADHD, including tutoring using the Orton Gillingham method and other research-based, multi-sensory techniques. Under the direction of their director, Dr. Emily Levy, each student is evaluated to determine his or her specific needs and is then matched with one of EBL's highly trained learning specialists.</p> <p><strong>Individualized Learning Plan</strong></p> <div> <div> <p>An individualized learning plan using research-based, multi-sensory techniques is created for each student. Sessions can be held either at EBL's learning center or at the child's home, or online.</p> </div> <p><strong>Students build skills in:</strong></p> </div> <div> <div> <p style="padding-left: 40px;">-Decoding & Spelling<br /><br />-Sentence, Paragraph, & Essay Writing<br /><br />-Multi-sensory Math<br /><br />-Reading Comprehension<br /><br />-Study & Executive Functioning Skills<br /><br />-Test preparation<br /><br />-Time Management & Organizational Skills<br /><br />-Early Childhood Learning Skills</p> </div> <p><strong>One-on-one instructional sessions</strong></p> </div> <div> <div> <p>Students receive one-on-one instructional sessions to teach them the fundamental skills that are essential for academic success. They are initially assessed to determine their strengths and weaknesses and academic levels, and are matched with one of EBL's highly trained learning specialists. Students develop core skills in reading, writing, reading comprehension, math, study skills, organization, test taking, note taking, and other executive functioning skills. As the academic demands of school rise, these skills become increasingly essential for academic success.</p> </div> </div> <div> <div> <h3>Dr. Emily Levy</h3> </div> </div> <p> </p> </div>