The experienced epilepsy specialists at UCI Health are skilled at the most advanced imaging and electroencephalography studies.
In Orange County, there is nothing like the UCI Health Comprehensive Epilepsy Program.
The program's highly skilled specialists are able to diagnose and treat the most complicated types of epilepsy and deliver the highest quality care, a requirement for its Level 4 designation by the National Association of Epilepsy Centers.
But as part of the University of California, Irvine, a world-class research institution, its physicians and surgeons also lead research efforts that are moving the science of epilepsy diagnosis and treatment forward for patients who experience seizures of all types.
Dr. David King-Stephens, a neurologist at UCI Health, recently shared what makes the program at Orange County's only academic health system unique.
What distinguishes UCI Health from other Level 4 centers?
As the only academic epilepsy program in Orange County, we are able to offer our patients advanced epilepsy treatments that are not available elsewhere in the region. This is because we are actively doing research into therapies that go beyond the current standard of care.
We are able to give our patients access to clinical trials for promising new therapies that are unavailable at other centers in Orange County.
Our highly skilled, multidisciplinary, experienced team performs the most complex electroencephalogram (EEG) studies, advanced surgical procedures and neuromodulation device implants in combination with medications to treat the most difficult-to-control seizures.
We also have one of the only specialized brain monitoring units in Southern California. This allows our specialists to track and pinpoint seizure origins in the folds of the brain for as many as six patients at once.
In addition, we educate the neurologists of the future at the UC Irvine School of Medicine through our intensive residency and fellowship programs.
Is surgery an effective treatment?
A great many patients experience seizures that are not well controlled by medication. Such cases of drug-resistant epilepsy are linked to poor quality of life, a higher risk of early death and increased financial burdens.
For such patients, surgery is a very safe, effective, yet underutilized option for eliminating seizures, especially when performed by the highly skilled, experienced neurosurgeons with our program. High-volume epilepsy surgery centers such as ours are linked to improved patient outcomes.
There are no age cutoffs for surgery to treat epilepsy that hasn’t responded to medications.
What research is underway at UCI Health?
We are conducting two clinical trials with anti-seizure medications that work in new ways:
- A potassium channel modulator called XEN1101, which may reduce the frequency of seizures by up to 50% in some patients and possibly eliminates them altogether.
- A study of an inhaled medication to rapidly stop seizures in patients over age 12 whose seizures occur in predictable patterns.
We also are exploring whether noninvasive, focused ultrasound can successfully treat what we call focal seizures, which originate in one part of the brain.
How is UCI Health moving epilepsy treatment forward?
Our specialists have historically collaborated on translational projects with other UC Irvine scientists. Our work with the School of Engineering has resulted in being able to analyze brain activity via implanted electrodes.
We also work closely with the scientists at the university's Epilepsy Research Center (EpiCenter), which is home to renowned neuroscience researchers.
These collaborations are contributing to a better understanding of epilepsy and possible new therapies with the potential to benefit our patients.
What role does education play in the epilepsy program?
At UC Irvine, we train and prepare neurologists to give the highest, most compassionate level of care to people with epilepsy.
Our one-year epilepsy fellowship gives neurologists valuable expertise in epilepsy treatment from leading experts in the field.
Fellows are trained in the technological aspects and interpretation of EEGs for both pediatric and adult patients, as well as the management of epilepsy, including intracranial surgical monitoring and brain mapping, training in neuromodulation and neuroimaging.
What is the Women's Epilepsy Program?
Our Women’s Epilepsy Program is led by Dr. Mona Sazgar, one of the world’s foremost experts on female epilepsy.
The program gives comprehensive care to all people who may bear children and have epilepsy, including catamenial epilepsy. This form of epilepsy is characterized by seizures that fluctuate with hormones, particularly those that are involved in menstrual cycles and pregnancy.
Our team offers pre- and postnatal counseling to ensure these patients are able to have a safe pregnancy while taking anti-seizure medications.
Learn more about the UCI Health Comprehensive Epilepsy Program ›
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