Overview
The Pauline Braathen Neurological Center’s Comprehensive Epilepsy Program at Cleveland Clinic Florida, Cleveland Clinic Martin Health and Cleveland Clinic Indian River Hospital provides the highest standard of care to patients with epilepsy. Our team is comprised of a highly specialized multidisciplinary team of professionals dedicated to optimizing the care of patients with epilepsy. We use cutting edge technology with state-of-the-art diagnostic and treatment capabilities. Our active research focus has made our center a leading program in the management and investigation of epilepsy.
The Cleveland Clinic Florida Epilepsy Center is accredited by the National Association of Epilepsy Centers (NAEC) as a level 4 epilepsy center. Level 4 epilepsy centers have the professional expertise and facilities to provide the highest level medical and surgical evaluation and treatment for patients with complex epilepsy.
Why choose Cleveland Clinic
Our Florida program is fully integrated with the Cleveland Clinic Epilepsy Center at our main campus in Cleveland, Ohio, which is considered one of the foremost epilepsy treatment centers in the world. Our epileptologists are board-certified neurologists with fellowship training in the diagnosis and treatment of epilepsy. We form a collaboration of highly specialized physicians who work together to tailor a treatment strategy for each individual patient, with a goal of achieving seizure freedom and improving quality of life.
Jointly, the epilepsy centers in Ohio and Florida offer the world’s largest and most comprehensive epilepsy program, managing more than 4,000 adult and 2,000 pediatric patients each year, and performing more than 375 epilepsy surgeries in children and adults each year.
All Florida epileptologists have dual appointments with the Neurological Institute in Cleveland.
Treatment Guides
Download our free Treatment Guides for more information on specific conditions.
State of the art technology
Our Epilepsy Center offers state-of-the-art technology for the diagnosis and treatment of patients experiencing seizures. We are equipped with a stereotactic robot that is used to perform minimally invasive stereotacticEEG (SEEG) evaluations in patients with intractable epilepsy. This advanced surgical navigational tool improves the accuracy of the electrode implants for monitoring, removing human error from coordinate calculation and frame adjustments. The stereotactic robot is also used in the placement of electrodes for RNS therapy and can be used therapeutically to ablate epileptic lesions in the brain.
What We Treat
What is epilepsy?
Epilepsy is a neurological disorder characterized by seizures. Epilepsy can begin at any age, and has several different causes. A seizure is a transient electrical disturbance in the brain. Seizures affect people in different ways. During a seizure, a person may experience feelings of confusion, or a loss of consciousness, or involuntary movements in their arms, legs, or body. Any symptom that might be suggestive of a seizure should be evaluated by a physician experienced in diagnosing and treating seizures.
How is epilepsy diagnosed?
At our center, patients who have had a seizure or who have already been diagnosed with epilepsy may be referred to an epileptologist. An epileptologist is a board-certified neurologist with fellowship training in the diagnosis and treatment of epilepsy. The physician will obtain a medical history, perform a neurological exam, and order appropriate testing which may include a brain MRI (Magnetic Resonance Image) and an EEG (Electroencephalogram). Some patients may require additional Video EEG Monitoring for diagnosis.
How is epilepsy treated?
Our goal with each individual patient is to achieve seizure freedom and improve quality of life. Success can often be achieved by obtaining an accurate diagnosis and selecting an appropriate anti-seizure medication(s). In patients who do not achieve seizure freedom with medication, additional treatment options may include epilepsy surgery or neuromodulation in selected cases.
Anti-Seizure Medications
Anti-seizure medication is used to stabilize the abnormal electrical activity in the brain that causes seizures to occur. Most patients with epilepsy — between 60 and 70 percent — will achieve seizure freedom by taking an anti-seizure medication. Today, there are several anti-seizure medications available to choose from, and our doctors help guide patients in choosing an appropriate one for them. The aim of taking an anti-seizure medication is to achieve seizure freedom without any side effects.
Epilepsy Surgery
Approximately 30% of patients who suffer from epilepsy have seizures that are difficult to control with anti-seizure medications. This form of epilepsy is described as medically refractory (or intractable or pharmaco-resistant). In carefully selected patients with medically refractory epilepsy, treatment with epilepsy surgery can be performed safely and effectively to help patients achieve seizure freedom. Potential candidates for epilepsy surgery are discussed at a Patient Management Conference held in conjunction with experts from the Cleveland Clinic Epilepsy Center in Cleveland, Ohio to determine if epilepsy surgery should be considered.
Neuromodulation
When seizures are difficult to control with anti-seizure medication, and epilepsy surgery is not an appropriate treatment option, neuromodulation may be offered as an alternative treatment strategy. Neuromodulation can be employed using Vagus Nerve Stimulation (VNS) or Responsive Neurostimulation (RNS or Neuropace).
Stereotactic Robot
The stereotactic robot helps to place the electrodes for stereo-EEG (intracranial EEG recording) in patients with intractable epilepsy. It is also used to place deep electrodes for Neuropace (RNS therapy). The robot can be also used therapeutically to ablate epileptic lesions like cortical dysplasias, mesial temporal sclerosis or small tumors.
Epilepsy Monitoring Unit
At the forefront of our diagnostic capabilities is our Epilepsy Monitoring Unit, designed for a detailed evaluation, diagnostic testing, and patient monitoring 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Patients stay in a comfortable, private room and undergo continuous electroencephalography (EEG) and simultaneous video monitoring under the supervision of our epileptologists working together with our specially trained technicians and nurses.
The Epilepsy Monitoring Unit serves several purposes: (1) to confirm the diagnosis of epilepsy, (2) to classify the epilepsy syndrome, (3) to make anti-seizure medication adjustments, (4) to diagnose non-epileptic events, and (5) to perform pre-surgical evaluations in patients who continue to have disabling seizures in spite of optimal medical therapy.
The Epilepsy Center is equipped with additional state-of-the-art technology. Testing is tailored to the needs of individual patients, and may include:
- High-quality 3-Tesla magnetic resonance imaging (3T-MRI).
- Functional MRI, which analyzes blood flow to map language and motor function in the brain.
- Single-Photon Emission Computed Tomography (Ictal SPECT), which helps to localize the area of the brain where seizures originate.
- Positron Emission Tomography (PET), which measures brain metabolism to identify abnormalities.
- Magnetoencephalography (MEG), which displays abnormal brain activity by recording magnetic fields generated by electrical activity in the brain.
- Neuropsychological testing, to assess language, memory, and cognitive function.
Appointments & Locations
To schedule a consultation, call Cleveland Clinic Indian River Hospital and Cleveland Clinic Weston Hospital at 877.463.2010 or Cleveland Clinic Martin Health at 844.630.4968. You can also make an appointment online.
Virtual Visits
You can now stay connected to your healthcare team through virtual visits, using your smartphone, tablet or computer.
Why go virtual? It's an easy, convenient and secure way to see your provider face-to-face without having to leave home. This saves you travel time, parking fees and time spent in the waiting room — and you can also have a loved one or caregiver join you. If appropriate, you can also get a prescription sent to the pharmacy of your choice.
Many insurance companies cover the cost of virtual visits, so check with your insurance company ahead of time. Interested in getting started? Call your provider to find out what virtual visit options are available.
