New equipment will allow West Virginia Universitydoctors to more accurately diagnose and effectively treat patients with epilepsy. WVU Hospitals upgraded its Epilepsy Monitoring Unit with new neurophysiology equipment, which allows doctors to monitor a patients brain waves, searching for the section of the brain thats causing the person to have seizures.

We are the only facility in West Virginia that has the technology and clinical expertise to evaluate patients in this manner,said Dr. John Brick, chair of the Department of Neurology.This new equipment is essential in determining if someone is eligible for surgery, and its more powerful than the equipment we had.

WVU Hospitalspurchase includes 19 pieces of equipment, including monitors, cameras and outpatient monitoring devices. In addition to being installed in the Epilepsy Monitoring Unit on the ninth floor of the hospital, the new equipment will also be available in various intensive care units, including the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit in WVU Childrens Hospital. This will allow doctors to see patientsbrain activities in real-time on a monitor in the Epilepsy Monitoring Unit while the patient is in intensive care, a service that was not previously available.

This is very helpful in diagnosing seizures and is particularly important for babies,said Dr. Tracy Weimer, a WVU neurologist.Seizures in newborns can be very hard to diagnose, especially in premature infants.

WVU s Epilepsy Center provides multidisciplinary, state-of-the-art care for adults and children with seizure disorders. The level 4 comprehensive Center, active since 2002, offers extensive diagnostic and treatment services to patients throughout the region.

For more information about epilepsy care at WVU visit:www.hsc.wvu.edu/som/neurology.