The Rush Epilepsy Center evaluates, diagnoses and treats adults and children with all forms of epilepsy, as well as people experiencing frequent spells that may be epilepsy. The program offers comprehensive inpatient and outpatient services, and provides patients with a full range of medical and surgical treatment options, including investigative therapies and approaches that are not widely available. Patients who require inpatient treatment receive care on a specialized neurological unit.

Specialized services provided through the Rush Epilepsy Center at Rush University Medical Center in Chicago include:

• Diagnosis and disease-management: Accurate diagnoses are obtained using state-of-the-art techniques, such as computerized brain mapping, electroencephalographic video monitoring, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and single proton emission computerized tomography (SPECT). Such technologies allow specialists to pinpoint the site and severity of seizure activity, information vital to selecting the most effective treatment options.
• Medical treatment: More than 70 percent of epilepsy patients can achieve full seizure control through a skillful balance of conventional medications. A major emphasis of the center is selecting the best medication regimen for each patient. The Rush Epilepsy Center also regularly participates in the study of new medical treatments. For more information on clinical trials, click on the link at left.
• Surgical options: For selected patients who don’t respond to medication, surgery may be recommended. The center offers traditional neurosurgery for epilepsy, as well as innovative operations, including a technique developed at Rush called multiple subpial transection (MST). While not a cure for all forms of epilepsy, this surgery offers hope for some patients previously considered untreatable. This includes children with a rare form of epilepsy called Landau-Kleffner syndrome, which affects the speech and communication centers of the brain. Rush was also the first medical center in Chicago to offer vagal nerve stimulation for epilepsy. Support for patients and families: Individual and family counseling is available to help patients and their families cope with the effects of epilepsy. The Epilepsy Center also offers regular educational seminars, and runs a support group for patients and families.
• Research: Research concerned with the causes and treatment of epilepsy is integral to the Rush Epilepsy Center’s patient care mission. Researchers are actively involved in studies of new anticonvulsant medications and surgical techniques.