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DEEP-SEEDED SEIZURES...why bother with the video EEG?

Mon, 07/30/2007 - 14:56
Topic: Diagnostic Dilemmas and Testing
Hubby had a 96hr video EEG done about 2 years ago...he had an episode (partial siezure) where he couldnt tlak, he got confused and was fidgeting then poof came out of it after about two minutes. Doc said nothing recorded on EEG. Here we are two years later....in April Hubby had 48 hr Ambulatory EEG...two seizures showed (Partial Focals). They each recorded 2 minutes. Doc showed us on computer and went over everything adn explained what part of the brain they came from BUT also explained that Hubbys are very deep seeded and these showings were only the tip of the iceberg for him becuase his are so deep in the brain. Hubby had three small seizures last week. Now he is scheduled for another video EEG in Hospital for three days this time at the end of August. If two years ago he had a small siezure (I was sitting with him and he was definately ahving a partial focal) and it didnt bother showing, why is Doc putting him thru this AGAIN sitting him in the Hospital bed for three straight days, no escape, 20 feet of wire to move around with and beign video taped? I know he is going to lower the trileptal some and up the Keppra. But IM unclear as to why he has to go thru all this again especially if it may not show what it should. Doc said in order to get an accurate intensity of his seizures they would have to do brain surgery and place electrodes deep in his brain. We are not ready for that and to me theres not a reason for that unless he was going for brain surgery to fix the seizures. Doc didnt mention he would do that anytime soon and believe us we are happy about that. ANyway, anyone else have really deep seeded seizures that sometimes dont show on an EEG?

Comments

Re: Re: DEEP-SEEDED SEIZURES...why bother with the video EEG?

Submitted by spellboundchick1978 on Sat, 2007-09-22 - 02:37
Hi, I have been having seizures for 17 years; I was diagnosed with complex partial with secondary generalized. I have been observed having seizures by doctors, neurologists, oh, and anyone you can think of... I have had every kind of eeg in the world, and all show an abnormailty, but none show a seizure even if I have had one. I have had neurologists question the ligitimicy of my seizures, one wanted to call my seizures "psudoseizures". (Fake seizures.) This diagnosis was pitched... and I was returned to just being the girl with complex partial seizure disorder... bla bla bla. A new neurologist wants me to have another video eeg, (pointless in my opinion, my damage can be seen via ct scan and mri) my question for you is what is a deep seeded seizure? There are seizures that they cannot detect via eeg? Should I go a head and do this test for the 10millionth time? Please forgive my rambelings, but this has really started to make me question my sanity. Can you help?

Re: DEEP-SEEDED SEIZURES...why bother with the video EEG?

Submitted by Anonymous on Tue, 2007-07-31 - 21:20
Lots of times seizures arise from 'deep' areas of the brain, usually the inner parts of the temporal of frontal lobes of the brain. When seizures can't be recorded by electrodes on the surface of the brain, and if the person is considering surgery, surgery can be done to place electrodes on top of or into certain structures of the brain. Here is a link to information about this. Since surgery is needed to place the electrodes, get lots of information about it first so you're prepared. It can really help though in locate where seizures begin and know if surgery would be helpful to control seizures.

Information on epilepsy surgery

Epi_help

Information on epilepsy surgery

Epi_help

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