Epilepsy Monitoring Unit
Between 100,000 and 120,000 South Floridians experience seizures annually – this is double the national average. The threat to daily living and the mystery of when and why their seizures occur can take its toll.
Holy Cross Hospital and South Florida epilepsy expert Eduardo Locatelli, MD, MPH opened a four-bed epilepsy monitoring unit in January 2008, which houses the region’s most sophisticated diagnostic technology for epilepsy. Here, Dr. Locatelli and medical staff are able to monitor and assist with the diagnosis of complicated seizure cases while patients stay in comfortable private rooms in a medically supervised environment.
Normal brain function is made possible by electrical charges passing between nerve cells in the brain and throughout the body. Epilepsy, the most common chronic neurological disorder that can be cured for some people, is a condition that causes the brain to produce sudden bursts of electrical energy that disrupt other brain functions. These bursts may affect a person's consciousness, bodily movements, or sensations for one to three minutes and are referred to as seizures or episodes.
Seizures can present in a variety of ways depending on the area of the brain that is affected. For example, if the area of the brain that is responsible for muscle tone is affected, a seizure may involve intermittent dropping of things or tripping. A seizure could also present as a temporary lapse of memory, brief panic attacks, temporary numbness, or language disturbance. There are more than 200 mild to severe symptoms that could be indicative of a seizure.
In the epilepsy monitoring unit, a patient is connected to an electroencephalograph (EEG) machine via dozens of tiny wires that are taped to the head. Here, Dr. Locatelli records continuous brain wave activity with simultaneous video recording. Brain waves during or between seizures may show special patterns, which help the doctor decide whether or not someone has epilepsy. Sometimes, a seizure can be induced if it is known what type of stimulus causes it, for example, music or loud noises.
While seizures are a symptom of epilepsy, they may be due to other conditions as well. Close to 60 out of 100 people who experience seizures and are said to have epilepsy with no response to medications, do not really have epilepsy. Conversely, since many people experience seizures in subtle ways, they may be unaware that they have epilepsy, which highlights the importance of proper screening and diagnosis.
For more information or to schedule a consultation, please contact Dr. Locatelli at 954-414-9750 or erl@floridaneuroscience.com.
