Referring Physicians: Epilepsy Care at Rush

Rush is a high-volume center for epilepsy care with a track record of positive outcomes, reducing seizure frequency and improving quality of life for thousands of patients each year. Our specialists include experts in epilepsy for all ages, from pediatric care to adult and older adult care. We offer advanced diagnostic techniques to accurately diagnose epilepsy, such as video-EEG monitoring, stereotactic EEG, high-definition brain MRI done with a special epilepsy protocol, functional MRI and Subtraction Ictal SPECT Reregistered to MRI (SISCOM). Treatment options range from medication management to surgical interventions and neuromodulatory devices, all tailored to individual patient needs.

Our campus in downtown Chicago is accredited as a level 4 epilepsy center by the National Association of Epilepsy Centers. It is a designation only awarded to centers that meet the highest standards for seizure diagnosis and advanced care. We maintain those high standards throughout our locations in the surrounding suburbs, including Oak Brook and Oak Park, Illinois.

Patients benefit from our team approach to personalized treatment. Because there are significant comorbidities associated with epilepsy, such as mood, cognitive and developmental disorders, as well as reproductive concerns, our epileptologists and neurosurgeons work with specialists across fields to provide holistic care plans. They collaborate with the following experts to improve not only seizure control, but symptoms and risks that come with other conditions:

• Neurologists
• Advance practice nurse practitioners
• Registered nurses
• Neuropsychologists
• Psychiatrics
• Neuroradiologists
• Neurosurgeons
• Genetic counselors
• Dietitians
• Pharmacists
• Social workers

Our dedicated clinics also address the unique needs of patients with epilepsy from specific populations. They include the following:

• Women’s Health and Epilepsy Clinic: This clinic’s coordinated care addresses hormonal influences on seizure patterns, medication interactions with contraception and pregnancy-related concerns.
• Epilepsy Clinic for Older Adults: The first of its kind in the Midwest, this clinic specializes in diagnosing and treating epilepsy in patients age 60 and older, focusing on subtle symptoms and cognitive health.
• Dietary Treatment Clinic: This clinic offers personalized dietary plans, including the modified ketogenic and low glycemic index diets, to help control seizures in adults, complementing medical, surgical and brain modulation treatments.
• Clinic for Spanish-speaking Patients with Epilepsy: This clinic provides comprehensive care in a culturally sensitive and language-accessible environment.

Who Are Ideal Candidates for Epilepsy Care at Rush?

Ideal candidates for treatment include patients with any type of epilepsy — whether well-controlled or refractory to medical therapy — those who may benefit from specialized surgical evaluations or neuromodulation therapies and those seeking second opinions. A second opinion at Rush can provide access to specialized expertise and the latest treatment options, ensuring that patients receive appropriate, personalized and comprehensive care.

Our team’s overarching goal is to provide freedom from seizures or reduced seizure frequency with minimal or no side effects and the best possible quality of life.

Why Refer Patients Here for Epilepsy Care?

• Nationally recognized care: In addition to our accreditation from the National Association of Epilepsy Centers that recognizes our commitment to high-quality care and patient safety, U.S. News & World Report includes Rush on its “Best Hospitals Honor Roll” and ranks our neurology and neurosurgery programs among the best in the nation.
• Advanced imaging, monitoring and diagnostics: Our EEG laboratory is the largest and busiest EEG facility in the Chicago area. It is equipped with state-of-the art tools, including continuous, high density, intracranial and stereotactic EEG. We use high resolution three-dimensional MRI along with high-density electroencephalography (HDEEG) source modeling of ictal and interictal epileptiform activity, as well as SISCOM data to provide state-of-the-art localization of surgically amenable areas. And we improved upon these methods by combining quantitative MRI techniques, such as the measurement of cortical thickness and voxel-based morphometry with three-dimensional EEG source modeling, to provide supplementary three-dimensional multimodal visualization of brain abnormalities. We also specialize in remote EEG monitoring in our intensive care units.
• Excellence in subspecialty services and clinic care: Our specialized epilepsy clinics provide care for thousands of patients every year, addressing their multidimensional needs, including medical, surgical, emotional, cognitive and social. Every part of patients’ well-being is an integral piece of our mission. These clinics include an epilepsy dietary clinic, neuromodulation clinic and the only epilepsy-for-older-adults clinic in the state of Illinois. We provide personalized care for patients with fertility challenges and our specialty pharmacy dedicated to our epilepsy patients is an added vital resource. We also provide linguistically and culturally appropriate care to our Spanish speaking population.
• Neuromodulation: There are currently only a few FDA-approved neuromodulatory treatment options for patients with medically refractory epilepsy. These include vagus nerve stimulation (VNS), deep brain stimulation (DBS) and responsive neurostimulation (RNS). Our specialists have been involved in pivotal clinical trials for all of these and have extensive experience with each.

What Is the Process for Referring a Patient?

If you’d like to refer your patient to Rush for epilepsy care, you can call our Provider Express Line at (312) 947-4725. You can also visit our Refer or Transfer a Patient page to learn more and find our online provider referral form.

Wait times for patients vary based on the urgency of the case and specialist availability. Most new patients are seen within a few weeks. Our specialists maintain open communication with referring physicians through detailed consultation notes, direct calls and collaborative discussions to ensure coordinated care.

Epilepsy and Seizure Conditions We Treat

• Epilepsy
• Functional seizures, or psychogenic nonepileptic seizures (PNES)
• Intractable epilepsy
• Seizure
• Status epilepticus

Epilepsy Treatments and Tests Offered

• Corpus callosotomy
• Deep brain stimulation
• Electroencephalogram (EEG)
• Focal resection
• Functional MRI (fMRI)
• High-resolution MRI
• Ketogenic diet
• Laser interstitial therapy (LITT)
• Medication Management
• Neuropsychological testing
• Radiofrequency ablation
• Responsive Neurostimulation (RNS)
• SISCOM (subtraction ictal SPECT co-registered to MRI)
• Stereotactic electroencephalogram (SEEG)
• Temporal Lobectomy
• Vagus Nerve Stimulation
• Video electroencephalogram (VEEG)
• Volumetric analysis of structures of the brain
• Neuropsychological testing
• Wada Test

Clinical Trials and Publications From Rush Epilepsy Specialists

• Epilepsy Neuronal Changes Study
• The STATUS Trial
• Obstructive and central sleep apnoea in a patient with medically intractable epilepsy
• Safety and Efficacy of Natalizumab as Adjunctive Therapy for People With Drug-Resistant Epilepsy: A Phase 2 Study
• The Role of Scalp EEG Recordings During Cortical Visual Prosthesis Testing
• Gender Issues in Epileptic Patients
• Overview of acute seizure management in US nursing homes
• Pregnancy and refractory epilepsy in Sturge-Weber syndrome: Challenges and outcomes
• Use of an Electronic Medical Record Alert to Prevent Iatrogenic Interventions in Patients With Psychogenic Nonepileptic Seizures
• A Multidisciplinary Approach to Nonepileptic Events
• Acute seizure therapies in people with epilepsy: Fact or fiction? A U.S. Perspective
• Age is but a number when considering epilepsy surgery in older adults