Controlling epilepsy and seizures for better quality of life
Epilepsy is among the most commonly diagnosed seizure disorders, affecting more than 2.5 million Americans. It is caused by abnormal electrical activity in the brain.
While epileptic seizures are generally associated with loss of consciousness and convulsions, there are other types of seizures with symptoms that are not as obvious, including changes in taste or smell, altered emotional state and unusual overall feeling.
Epilepsy treatment
Although epilepsy has been known since ancient times (Julius Caesar had it), there is no gold-standard treatment option, and it usually is not curable. Rather, neurologists on our medical staff focus on controlling seizures by helping patients identify and avoid certain epilepsy triggers. There also is a wide range of medications available to treat epilepsy.
For epilepsy that cannot be controlled through medication and lifestyle changes, certain procedures may help, including:
- Temporal and extratemporal resection, surgery to remove a small part of the brain
- Lesionectomy, an operation to remove a damaged area of the brain
- Vagus nerve stimulation, a procedure to stabilize the brain's electrical activity
- Clinical trials (when appropriate)
Specialized care centers
Baylor Scott & White Neuroscience Institute Epilepsy Center
2401 S 31st St
Temple, TX 76508
The Baylor Scott & White Neuroscience Institute Epilepsy Center in Temple has the prestigious designation as a National Association of Epilepsy Center and offers advanced epilepsy treatment.
The comprehensive Epilepsy Center provides both inpatient and outpatient diagnostic evaluations of epilepsy and offers options for the appropriate course of treatment.
Baylor Neuroscience Center
3500 Gaston Ave
Dallas, TX 75246
The Baylor Neuroscience Center Epilepsy Center at Baylor University Medical Center is a Level IV comprehensive program, the highest designation awarded by the National Association of Epilepsy Centers.
As a Level IV program, the Epilepsy Center at Baylor University Medical Center offers inpatient and outpatient diagnostic testing, along with treatments facilitated by a multidisciplinary team of neurologists, epileptologists, neurosurgeons, and neuroradiologists.