| |
|
|
| |
|
|
| |
Epilepsy Research
|
Using functional magnetic resolution imaging (fMRI) neurologists and neurosurgeons can not only highlight the portions of the brain that are affected by seizures in patients with epilepsy, but also see how epilepsy may impact a child's brain development, especially with regards to language and learning pathways of the brain.
|
Nearly 8 percent of all children will experience a seizure before their 16th birthday. Epilepsy, a group of disorders that cause disturbances in electrical signaling in the brain, affects 1 percent of the pediatric population. The Comprehensive Pediatric Epilepsy Program (CPEP), under the direction of William Davis Gaillard, MD, is one of the largest multidisciplinary epilepsy programs in the country. CPEP provides clinical care and conducts research into the origins, impact, and treatment of epilepsy in children.
Children's National Medical Center counts more than 12,000 patient-related epilepsy visits annually and maintains the nation’s largest database of children with new onset seizures. CPEP is an innovative, multidisciplinary clinical and research program that evaluates and cares for children from the onset of seizures all the way to novel therapeutic interventions and epilepsy surgery. CPEP serves as a regional and national resource for epilepsy evaluation and care.
In the last decade, researchers around the world have advanced their understanding of how epilepsy affects brain structure and brain function. Much of this progress is due to revolutionary advances in imaging technology. These advances have demonstrated that some types of epilepsy cause progressive brain injury. Technology has led to great advances in understanding the developmental, molecular, and physiological mechanisms underlying epilepsy.
The Comprehensive Pediatric Epilepsy Program actively researches
- Neuroimaging of seizure disorders
- Neurotransmitter diseases and mechanisms of epileptogensis
- Mood and anxiety disorders in epilepsy populations
- Identification and evaluation of recent onset epilepsy
- Development of coping and socialization skills in children with epilepsy
- Improving access to care and improved outcomes
- Neonatal seizures and neuroprotection
Faculty who study epilepsy
- Madison Berl, PhD
- Kathleen Brown, MD
- James M. Chamberlain, MD
- Taeun Chang, MD
- Joan A. Conry, MD
- William Davis Gaillard, MD
- Vittorio Gallo, PhD
- Gerard A. Gioia, PhD
- Phillip L. Pearl, MD
- Jay A. Salpekar, MD
- Tammy Tsuchida, MD, PhD
- Chandan Vaidya, PhD
Related link
|
|
|
|
|
|
