Residential Epilepsy Treatment in Children

Epilepsy is a neurological disorder that causes seizures. Seizures are unexpected brain glitches in which nerve cells, or neurons, fire at a much higher rate than normal. This causes external problems such as spasms and unconsciousness. Residential treatment facilities like the Mayo Clinic support epilepsy patients with a variety of treatments in a live-in setting.

Variations

• Medical treatment can be very effective in controlling epileptic symptoms.

  Some forms of epilepsy decrease in severity of symptoms over time, while others increase. With every variation of epilepsy, seek medical treatment to find out what to expect and what kind of medication might be helpful. Residential treatment facilities are equipped to handle epilepsy conditions of varying degrees of severity.

Mayo Clinic

• The Mayo Clinic in Minnesota is well-known for its top-rate neurological treatments.

  The Mayo Clinic in Minnesota offers a wide variety of treatment options for children with epilepsy. This residential program is usually less than a month in duration and can make a huge difference in an epileptic child's life.

EEG

• An EEG test can read brain wave activity.

  One of the first ways that epileptic children are assisted in their search for treatment at the Mayo Clinic and other residential facilities is with electroencephalography (EEG). An EEG test measures brain waves, and "the pattern of brain wave activity may help physicians diagnose seizure type."

Nutrition

• A ketogenic diet is a very specific high-fat diet that can aid some patients with epilepsy.

  A ketogenic diet has been shown to be helpful to some epileptic children and is offered as an option to residential patients at the Mayo Clinic. It is "a high-fat, low-protein, no-carbohydrate diet" that must be monitored very closely by the doctor at the residential facility.

Medication

• There are many different types of medication that can help calm the symptoms of epilepsy.

  Physicians in a residential treatment facility may also prescribe a variety of anti-epileptic drugs (AEDs). Some of these drugs, like Lyrica and Neurontin, are narrow-spectrum AEDs meant to treat a specific type of epilepsy. Others, like Topamax and Lamictal, are broad-spectrum AEDs used to treat a variety of epileptic conditions.

Hope

• Diagnosing and treating epilepsy, especially in children, is a very involved process. Luckily, there is a long list of medications and procedures available at the Mayo Clinic, as well as at other residential epilepsy treatment centers, that can help epileptics come to a more stable and fulfilling place in their lives.