A Special Resource for Patients

The Epilepsy  Program at USC University Hospital is dedicated to improving quality of life through innovation. With a combination of clinical expertise, advanced research efforts and personalized care, we strive to provide true excellence in the epilepsy treatment. Thanks to the program's academic affiliation, our patients have direct access to some of the latest treatment alternatives for uncontrolled epilepsy, and they receive highly personalized care traditionally found in smaller community-based settings. This dynamic combination has helped us become a major referral center for patients from Greater Los Angeles, Southern California and the Western United States.

Established in 1988, the Epilepsy Program provides comprehensive treatment for epilepsy - from advanced medical treatment to sophisticated surgery to vagus nerve stimulation. We are equipped with some of the latest neuroimaging techniques and a wide range of electrodiagnostic services, including routine EEG and advanced prolonged video/EEG monitoring.

Our expert neurologists, neurosurgeons, neurophysiologists, neuropsychologists, occupational therapists and a host of allied health professionals work together in a multidisciplinary team to develop highly individualized treatment plans for each patient.

In addition to clinical practice, the Epilepsy Program has a strong research component.

Areas of our research interest include:

• Impact of medical therapy on memory dysfunction in patients with epilepsy
• Research and development of some innovative antiepileptic medications
• Use of vagus nerve stimulation designed to optimize therapy
• Women's health issues, specifically the impact of hormones on seizures

Members of the Program's team have published extensively on these and other epilepsy-related topics and are invited to speak throughout the U.S.

Medical Treatment

Our evaluation for the patient treatment begins with an outpatient consultation. We use an ample range of traditional medications for epilepsy treatment, including the newer medications approved by the FDA.

Additionally, USC has the General Clinical Research Center, one of the specially designated centers established by the National Institute of Health National Center for Research Resources to facilitate research. Our program is actively involved in experimental treatments for antiepileptic drug studies and clinical trials for such studies are always ongoing.

Patients who qualify for specific studies can participate free of charge and their travel expenses are compensated.

Surgical Treatment

Some medically intractable patients who do not respond to medical therapy may be candidates for epilepsy surgery. Specifically those patients with temporal lobe epilepsy who often experience confusion, staring spells or distinct auras, but may only rarely have generalized (grand mal) seizures.

The first step in planning surgery is localizing an epileptic focus in the brain. The Epilepsy Program's telemetry unit at USC University Hospital features some of the latest in digital technology. After an initial evaluation that may include EEG, MRI and PET scan, the patient may be admitted to the unit for 24-hour inpatient scalp and sphenoidal electrode EEG/video telemetry. Medications are reduced in a safe environment in an effort to precipitate seizures. Average patient stays range from four to ten days.

Neuropsychologic testing is also used to help localize seizures, incorporating cognitive methods to help find the region from which the seizures originate. A neuropsychological assessment helps neurologists and surgeons identify an epileptic focus and help track changes in the patient's brain function before and after surgery.

If the seizure cannot be localized with scalp electrodes, patients may be candidates for inpatient intracranial EEG/video monitoring.

Once the source of epileptic seizures has been precisely determined, the stage is set for surgical intervention. Using a combination of advanced imaging techniques and high-tech microscopic navigation, our neurosurgical team performs a resection, removing those tissues responsible for the seizures. The total duration of hospitalization due to surgery is usually about five days.

Vagus Nerve Stimulation

Vagus nerve stimulation (VNS) is an innovative alternative for patients who do not respond to traditional anti-epileptic medical therapy.

A VNS is a pacemaker implanted over the left chest wall. It has a spiral electrode attached to the vagus nerve in the mid-portion of the neck which delivers an intermittent electrical pulse. When a patient feels a seizure coming on, the device is activated manually by placing a small magnet against the chest. This electrical stimulation is designed to reduce dramatically seizure frequency in patients who have not responded well to medication. The implant procedure itself is relatively simple and usually requires no more than a one-night hospital stay.

The Epilepsy Program has played a critical role in the development of VNS and is one of the largest centers in the United States employing this technique. In fact, after the FDA approval, the first VNS implant in the U.S. not involved in a clinical trial was done at USC. Our research efforts have also focused on studying the effectiveness, safety and mechanism of action of VNS.

The VNS may benefit patients who are ineligible for epilepsy surgery as well as those who'd like to avoid the risk a major surgical procedure.

Personalized Care

Emphasis on personalized care is at the core of the Epilepsy Program's patient services. Thanks to the diverse expertise of our multidisciplinary team, we are able to evaluate treatment options and create a treatment plan tailored to the specific needs of each patient.

We intimately understand the challenges that intractable seizures place on both patients and families. Our compassionate approach to care takes into consideration the stress and anxiety that accompany chronic illness and we work closely with patients and their family members to help allay their fears.

Our other objective is patient education, as our program strongly believes that knowledge is vital when dealing with a disease as complex as epilepsy. Our team members take the time to educate patients and their families about their disease, their treatment options, and what they can expect from the various procedures.

Close Contact with Referring Physicians

The Epilepsy Program makes it a point to stay in close contact with referring physicians. We remain in touch via e-mail, phone calls and faxes, and seek to keep referring physicians abreast of the progress their patient is making in our program.

We are also available to community-based physicians for telephone consultations. And we hold regular continuing medical education programs to keep physicians current on some of the latest treatment options for individuals with epilepsy.

Contact Information

We'll be happy to answer your questions, set up a tour or schedule an appointment. For a physician referral, call 1-888-700-5700.