Epilepsy
Diagnosis

In the United States, about 2 million people have epilepsy, including 300,000 children under the age of 14.

To determine if your child has the condition, a team of doctors and other medical professionals at the UCSF Epilepsy Center will assess your child's medical condition and determine the type of seizures your child is having. This information is essential in determining the best treatment for your child.

The first step in making a diagnosis is asking about your child's medical history, as well as your immediate family's medical history. Since it's unlikely that we'll witness your child actually having a seizure, we will ask many questions about what happens when your child has a seizure. Some of the questions you can expect include:

• How old was your child when the seizures began?
• What happened around your child when he or she had the first seizure?
• Does it seem like anything in particular triggers your child's seizures?
• What does your child experience during seizures?
• What do observers notice when your child has seizures?
• How long do the seizures last?
• How frequently do they occur?
• Which treatments has your child received for seizures and what were the results of these treatments?

If your child's primary care doctor has sent previous medical records, we will review this information. Be sure to tell the neurologist about any medications your child is currently using, including over-the-counter medications, vitamins, nutritional supplements or herbal remedies.

Neurological Exam

Your child will also have a complete neurological examination. This may include scheduling for certain tests, such as:

• Blood or urine tests
• Electrocardiogram (ECG), which measures heart activity
• Electroencephalogram (EEG), which measures electrical activity in the brain
• Imaging tests such as X-rays, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), or computed tomography (CT) scans
• Other procedures, such as positron emission tomography. Also called PET imagining or PET scan, positron emission tomography is a non-invasive diagnostic test that combines the technologies of computed tomography (CT) and nuclear medicine

Reviewed by health care specialists at UCSF Children's Hospital.
Last updated February 4, 2010