Our approach to epilepsy care

Dealing with epilepsy can be overwhelming for you and your family. At the WellSpan Epilepsy Center, we’re here to provide guidance and support — with expert care at the forefront of everything we do. 

Choose compassionate, patient-centered care and reclaim your life from epilepsy. 

Signs and symptoms of epilepsy

Epilepsy is a neurological condition that causes recurring seizures, which are sudden, uncontrolled bursts of electrical activity in the brain. 

The seizures in epilepsy often cause unusual sensations, emotions, behaviors and sometimes convulsions, muscle spasms and loss of consciousness. 

Symptoms may include:

• uncontrollable jerking and shaking, called a fit
• loss of awareness and staring blankly into space
• stiffness
• strange sensations, such as a rising feeling in the stomach, unusual tastes or smells and/or a tingling feeling in the arms or legs
• collapsing

Epilepsy can also cause other symptoms, such as:

• confusion
• memory loss
• difficulty speaking
• nausea
• vomiting

When to see a doctor

If you’re concerned about your risk of epilepsy, we can help you determine if you need testing for this condition and recommend next steps.

• brain mapping to diagnose seizures and underlying causes
• education, counseling and job placement
• interactive and proactive care planning
• long-term inpatient video EEG
• routine and ambulatory EEG
• neuropsychological evaluation
• neurosurgical treatments
• antiepileptic medications
• vagal nerve stimulation
• responsive neurostimulation (RNS)

Our treatment options

Epilepsy affects each person differently. Our skilled neurologists work with you to create a personalized treatment plan that addresses your individual symptoms and health needs.

• Medication: Most people will achieve seizure control through medication. Our goal is to not only reduce the number of seizures, but also limit the possible side effects of antiepileptic drugs.
• Dietary modification: Dietary modification can treat difficult-to-control seizures, especially for people who can’t take epilepsy medications. Dietary therapy requires a team approach, and our neurology team will develop an individualized nutrition plan for you.
• Vagus nerve stimulation: This minimally invasive procedure involves implanting a small device, similar to a cardiac pacemaker, to deliver mild electrical impulses to the vagus nerve in the neck. These impulses then travel to brain centers to reduce seizures.
• Responsive neurostimulation: This breakthrough surgical approach addresses seizures caused by drug-resistant focal epilepsy in patients aged 18 and older. It uses a neurostimulation device to constantly monitor brainwaves, detect unusual activity that may lead to a seizure and respond in real-time by sending brief pulses to disrupt the unusual activity – preventing the seizure before it starts.
• Brain surgery: Brain surgery is another option that can reduce or eliminate seizures.