Inpatient Monitoring

The clinical Epilepsy Center has an inpatient epilepsy unit dedicated entirely to diagnosis and treatment of problem seizures. This unit can perform computer-enhanced video-EEG monitoring in order to capture episodes that might be seizures or one of the many imitators of seizures. The unit can admit both adults and children. This type of monitoring can diagnose epilepsy and also determine whether it is in a surgically accessible area of the brain.

The center works with the most advanced techniques of neuroimaging, including high-resolution, digital MRI, CT scan, WADA, and functional MRI. We have available brain mapping procedures that image seizure foci in relation to critical regions of brain function. We can perform electrocorticography - invasive monitoring with wires or grid electrodes in and on brain to better localize the seizure focus.

Inpatient video-EEG monitoring in our Epilepsy Monitoring Unit (EMU), is used for one of four purposes:

1. To diagnose whether a condition is epilepsy or one of its imitators.
2. To determine what type of epileptic seizures patients are having, to guide therapy.
3. To determine whether patients are having more seizures than recognized, in order to explain confusion or other troublesome symptoms.
4. To localize where seizures come from in the brain (the seizure “focus”) as a possible prelude to operating on the focus to treat medically-intractable seizures.

Inpatient video-EEG monitoring is a continuous EEG along with ongoing video of the patient. Patients can be in the hospital for monitoring from one day up to one week. Seizure medications may be tapered or halted while in the hospital in order to provoke seizures for analysis while under highly controlled conditions.

While in the monitoring unit, patients can reside in their hospital bed or sit in a chair as well as walk around the room. The EEG cable reaches into the bathroom, where you have off-camera privacy. Visitors are permitted. Patients are recommended to wear clothing that is comfortable and can be removed without pulling over the head and to bring reading material and music for listening.

During monitoring, we perform a variety of evaluations of your medical condition, and also of stress factors and mood changes that commonly accompany severe seizures. If episodes do not occur spontaneously, they may be provoked with medication reduction, sleep deprivation, exercise, flashing lights, hyperventilation (over-breathing) or hypnosis.

Ambulatory EEG Monitoring

Diagnostic EEG testing can be done on an ambulatory basis. Patients come to St. Charles for the ambulatory EEG “set-up” and then are free to return home and go to work during the testing process. The process usually takes from one to three days.

During the set-up, our highly skilled technologist will educate you on the process and answer any questions you may have about the process. Sixteen to 24 electrodes will be placed on your head using a conductive paste and special glue to hold the electrodes in place. The paste and glue will be cleaned from your head at the end of the study.

Your electrodes, small metal discs with thin wires, are connected to a miniaturized, head-mounted amplifier, which records the results of the test. Electrodes pick up tiny electrical charges produced by activity in the nerve cells of the brain. Once your set-up is complete, your head is wrapped with gauze to hold the electrodes, wires and amplifier in place. This process is completely safe and painless. You will be provided with supplies and instructions for use during the test and the disconnection following the test.

Pease click here to download the Video EEG Request Form. (*For physician use only)