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Purple Day March 26 - A World Day for Epilepsy Awareness

Published: 26 March 2015

The Neuro has been at the forefront of epilepsy treatment and research for over half a century. The “Montreal Procedure” developed by Dr. Wilder Penfield and colleagues revolutionized the surgical treatment for epilepsy, allowing thousands of patients to start new lives free of seizures. The use of electroencephalography (EEG) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) for the study and treatment of epilepsy was pioneered at The Neuro.

The Neuro’s Epilepsy Clinic provides both in-patient and out-patient evaluation and treatments for about 1,500 patients a year. The Neuro’s Epilepsy Program has a multi-disciplinary team of epileptologists, neurosurgeons, nurses, neuropsychologists, neuropsychiatrists, social workers, EEG technologists, nurse clinicians and case managers.

Epilepsy specialists at The Neuro

Frederick Andermann – world-recognized epileptologist who has delineated several epileptic syndromes that stem from neuronal migration defects. He has also studied behavioural changes in epilepsy patients.

Eva Andermann - investigates genetic factors in epilepsy and in epilepsy syndromes, and provides genetic counselling to families of epilepsy patients.

Andrea Bernasconi – neurologist using advanced brain-imaging techniques to model epileptogenic lesions and to study their relationship to brain structure and function.

Neda Bernasconi – uses sophisticated MRI data with advanced image analysis and statistical models to obtain knowledge of fine brain structure and brain networks, in particular the limbic system in patients with temporal lobe epilepsy.

Francois Dubeau - neurologist using intracerebral electroencephalogram to study and understand the epileptic focus and mechanisms of seizure generation in patients with medically intractable epilepsies. He seeks to find the correlations between the epileptic focus and human brain lesions, and understand the role of lesions in the generation of focal and remote epileptogenesis.

Jean Gotman – uses EEG and functional imaging techniques to investigate the mechanisms of generation of epileptic discharges. His work aims to improve understanding of epileptogenesis and diagnostic techniques. He also analyzes patterns of High Frequency Oscillations in the EEG, which could improve the ability to localize epileptogenic regions and better understand epileptogenesis.

Jeffrey Hall - neurosurgeon specializing in the surgical treatment of epilepsy. His current research, in collaboration with other MNI clinician-scientists includes; developing non-invasive means of delineating epileptic foci, imaging of implanted intracranial electrodes and the application of image-guided neuronavigation to the surgery of epilepsy.

Eliane Kobayashi – neurologist applying multimodal functional neuroimaging to study the epileptic focus and epilepsy networks.

Martin Veilleux – neurologist with an interest in the treatment of epilepsy.

Epilepsy is a neurological disorder characterized by a sudden, brief change in the brain, expressed as a seizure. Epilepsy affects many Canadians. According to Epilepsy Canada, approximately one per cent of Canadians have epilepsy. This includes people who take anticonvulsant drugs or who had a seizure within the past five years. 30% of new Canadian cases each year are among children. In about half of child cases, seizures eventually disappear. Epilepsy is a result of different causes: malformations during brain development, a head injury that causes scarring to the brain tissue, high fever and prolonged convulsions during early childhood, trauma at birth, a stroke or tumour. One out of three patients cannot control seizures solely by using available medications. For these patients, surgical removal of the brain tissue causing seizures is the only known effective treatment for controlling seizures and improving quality of life. Seizures can be triggered by outside events such as strobe lights, or by a person’s state of health---fatigue, illness, hunger, emotional stress.

The Neuro:

The Montreal Neurological Institute and Hospital -- The Neuro, is a unique academic medical centre dedicated to neuroscience. A research and teaching institute of McGill University, The Neuro forms the basis for the Neuroscience Mission of the McGill University Health Centre. Founded in 1934 by Dr. Wilder Penfield, The Neuro is recognized internationally for integrating research, compassionate patient care and advanced training, all key to advances in science and medicine. Neuro researchers are world leaders in cellular and molecular neuroscience, brain imaging, cognitive neuroscience and the study and treatment of epilepsy, multiple sclerosis and neuromuscular disorders. For more information, please visit www.theneuro.com

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