HOW TO DIAGNOSE EPILEPSY
Talk to your Physician.
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Whether for you or your child, an epilepsy diagnosis is based a great deal on history, or the information you provide to your physician. It is recommended that you keep a diary or record of seizures, including time of day, how long the seizure lasted, any unusual events prior to the seizure, etc. It is also helpful to bring an observer of the seizure to your physician visit, to describe what happened during the seizure. If a friend or relative is able to take video of a seizure, this is extremely beneficial for your physician to view. Seizure Tracker is a smartphone application that helps you track all of this information in one place.
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Seizure Tracker smartphone app, track seizure activity and more!
Ways to test for epilepsy
Blood test
Blood tests are commonly performed at a first doctor’s visit to determine whether there are other medical problems causing or contributing to the seizures. Blood tests are also used to test the level of the anti-seizure medication in the blood. Each individual metabolizes medication differently and checking blood levels helps to determine if the dosage is adequate for the individual or may help explain side- effect symptoms if the level is too high.
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Brain scan
A brain scan is also often needed. MRI brain scans are usually more comprehensive in showing the kinds of brain problems associated with seizures. But for some people, a simpler CT (computerized axial tomography, “CAT”) brain scan may be enough.
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EEG
EEG (electroencephalogram) is a test of brain electrical activity. Sometimes this test allows physicians to see an electrical abnormality between seizures. This can help with the diagnosis of epilepsy type, guide medication selection and determine whether it's safe to stop medication. But even if the test is normal, it does not prove the person does not have epilepsy.
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EEG: Inpatient Video EEG Monitoring
When seizures are uncontrolled, the person with epilepsy may be recommended for inpatient video-EEG monitoring which can help to better diagnose the seizures. For this test, EEG wires are attached to the patient in a room with a video camera. Any epilepsy medications are reduced or stopped. The intent is to record a seizure or several seizures. This test is most often needed when the diagnosis of epilepsy is not clear even when other tests have been performed, or for people who have epilepsy which is not well-controlled even after trying several seizure medications. It is commonly used when someone is being considered for seizure surgery.