Our Approach to Epilepsy
The Montefiore Einstein Comprehensive Epilepsy Center is internationally recognized for having one of the nation’s best interdisciplinary epilepsy teams and is a national and international referral site for the most complex epilepsy cases. For 40 years, our Center has led the world in innovative and interdisciplinary epilepsy care and research through the Departments of Neurology and Neurosurgery. Our world-renowned specialists are thought leaders at the forefront of leading all major national and international epilepsy societies, consortia and clinical trials.
Why Choose Montefiore Einstein?
We are one of the first Comprehensive Level 4 Epilepsy Centers, the highest level designation from the National Association of Epilepsy Centers. This designation recognizes our expertise across a broad continuum of diverse child and adult epilepsy subtypes, providing the latest and emerging precision medicine-guided treatments for the most complex cases. As a Level 4 Center, our world-renowned specialists use complex forms of intensive neurodiagnostic monitoring, as well as more extensive medical, neuropsychological and psychosocial treatment. We also offer a complete evaluation for epilepsy surgery, including intracranial electrodes and a broad range of surgical procedures for epilepsy. Our intraoperative monitoring neurological specialists have unique expertise in intraoperative electrocorticography (ECoG) and brain mapping as part of a multidisciplinary treatment plan for medically resistant cases. We are ranked in the top 1% of all hospitals in the nation for neurology and neurosurgery according to U.S. News & World Report.
World-Renowned Leadership in Epilepsy Care
We diagnose and treat adults and children with a multidisciplinary team approach that includes the most advanced diagnostic technologies, with state-of-the-art facilities for long-term epilepsy monitoring. Through neuropsychological testing and treatment, our team of psychiatrists, psychologists and social workers provides patients of all ages with comprehensive emotional and psychological support as well as education for healing and maintaining mental and overall health.
In cases where surgery is indicated, our neurosurgeons are world-renowned specialists with decades of experience and leadership in the field. They are experts in minimally invasive robotic surgery for stereoelectroencephalography (SEEG)—stereotactic electroencephalography used to identify the site of seizure onset—as well as in all cutting-edge therapies, including vagus nerve stimulation (VNS), responsive neurostimulation (RNS), deep brain stimulation (DBS) and laser interstitial thermal therapy (LITT). They also specialize in minimally invasive approaches for the resection of seizure foci. If surgery is recommended as part of your care plan, we’ll coordinate scheduling with our world-renowned surgeons at one of the many locations within our health system.
Maximizing Mobility & Independence
We also offer comprehensive epilepsy rehabilitation services, including speech, physical and occupational therapy, as well as vocational and neuropsychological rehabilitation. Our individualized treatment plans are designed to maximize mobility and independence using the latest innovative treatments for even the most complex cases.
Advanced Diagnostics & Treatments for Epilepsy
We diagnose and treat adults and children using a multidisciplinary team approach that includes the most advanced diagnostic technologies, as well as state-of-the-art facilities for long-term epilepsy monitoring, to facilitate precision medicine treatment plans.
We design our treatment plans to encompass a broad spectrum of neurological and rehabilitation services and, if needed, surgical procedures. This approach optimizes recovery by considering each patient’s unique case and customizing their regimen based on their individual needs. We coordinate any additional care or specialized services you may need, bringing together experts from across our health system to ensure your care is fully integrated and comprehensive. The nonsurgical and surgical treatments we offer include the following:
We offer the most advanced diagnostic and imaging technologies to inform our patients’ care plans for all stages of life. Our intraoperative monitoring neurological specialists have unique expertise in ECoG and brain mapping as part of a multidisciplinary treatment plan for medically resistant cases. We’ll coordinate any additional care or specialized services you may need, bringing together experts from across our health system to ensure your care is fully integrated and comprehensive. Our services include the following:
- Electroencephalography (EEG)
- High-density EEG
- Video-EEG monitoring (Epilepsy Inpatient Monitoring Unit)
- Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)
- Positron emission tomography (PET)
- Single-photon emission computed tomography (SPECT)
- Intracarotid amobarbital/methohexital (Wada test) simultaneous EEG-PET
- Statistical parametric mapping (SPM)
- Electrical source imaging (ESI)
- Magnetoencephalography (MEG)
- Intra- and extraoperative mapping
- Neuropsychological testing
We offer a broad spectrum of nonsurgical treatment options, including antiepileptic medications, nutritional modification, as well as other therapies to maximize epilepsy care, control seizures and improve quality of life. Investigational therapies are also offered through clinical trials, which can provide access to emerging treatments that are otherwise unavailable. Our services include the following:
- Antiepileptic medications
- Investigational therapies
- Dietary therapy/nutritional modification
- Transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS)
- Transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS)
- Trigeminal nerve stimulation (TNS)
For intractable and antiepileptic medicine-resistant cases, we offer patients access to the full spectrum of surgical treatment options, including the latest minimally invasive techniques and technologies. Our goal is to provide the most definitive yet safe procedures, taking into account the patient’s desires, goals and aspirations. Treatment options we use include SEEG; surgical resection of seizure foci (such as anterior temporal lobectomy or selective amygdalo-hippocampectomy); laser ablation, or LITT; DBS; RNS, and VNS. Our team of world-renowned specialists works together with patients and caregivers to deliver optimal outcomes and quality of life. If surgery is recommended as part of your care plan, we’ll coordinate scheduling with our world-renowned surgeons at one of the many locations within our health system. Our services include the following:
- Anterior temporal lobectomy
- Cortical grids and strips
- Corpus callosotomy
- Deep brain stimulation (DBS)
- Depth electrodes
- Epilepsy surgery
- Foramen ovale (FO) electrodes
- Functional hemispherectomy
- Hemispherectomy
- Laser ablation
- Laser interstitial thermal therapy (LITT)
- NeuroPace responsive neurostimulation (RNS)
- Responsive neurostimulation (RNS)
- Robot-assisted stereoelectroencephalography (SEEG)
- Robotic surgery
- Section of corpus callosum
- Selective amygdalohippocampectomy
- Selective resection
- Stereoelectroencephalography (SEEG)
- Stereotactic encephalography
- Vagus nerve stimulation (VNS)
We offer comprehensive epilepsy rehabilitation services, including speech, physical and occupational therapy, as well as vocational and neuropsychological rehabilitation. Our highly individualized treatment plans are designed to maximize mobility and independence. Our services include the following:
- Physical and occupational therapy
- Speech and language therapy
- Neuropsychological rehabilitation
- Cognitive rehabilitation
- Vocational rehabilitation
Through neuropsychological testing and treatment, our team of renowned psychiatrists, psychologists and social workers provides patients with comprehensive emotional and psychological support and education for healing and maintaining mental and overall health. Our services include the following:
- Psychopharmacology and antiepileptic medications
- Neuropsychological counseling and rehabilitation
- Behavioral interventions
- Cognitive behavioral therapy
- Psychosocial services
- Neuropsychological testing
Epilepsy & Related Conditions We Treat
- Absence seizures
- Brain tumors
- Cavernous malformations
- Complex partial epilepsy
- Complex partial epilepsy with secondary generalization
- Cortical dysplasia
- Drop attacks
- Epilepsy
- Falling
- Gelastic seizures
- Generalized seizures
- Hemangioma
- Mesial temporal sclerosis
- Seizures
- Shaking
- Simple partial epilepsy
- Spells
- Temporal lobe epilepsy
- Tuberous sclerosis
Our Epilepsy Team
Make an Appointment for the Services and Location That Are Right for You
Service Types
Aesthetics, Allergy, Asthma & Sinus Care, Behavioral Health, Cardiology, Comprehensive Weight Management, CT Scan, Dermatology, Ear, Nose & Throat (Otorhinolaryngology), Endocrinology, Gastroenterology, General Surgery Consultations, Geriatrics, Immunology, Kidney Care, Kidney Pre- and Post-Transplant Care, Liver Disease, Liver Pre- and Post-Transplant Care, Mammography, MRI, Neurology, Neurosurgery Consultations, Nuclear Medicine, Orthopedics, Pancreas Pre- and Post-Transplant Care, Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine, Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Primary Care, Pulmonology, Rheumatology, Ultrasound, X-ray
Location
Service Types
Aesthetics, Allergy, Asthma & Sinus Care, Behavioral Health, Cardiology, Comprehensive Weight Management, CT Scan, Dermatology, Ear, Nose & Throat (Otorhinolaryngology), Endocrinology, Gastroenterology, General Surgery Consultations, Geriatrics, Immunology, Kidney Care, Kidney Pre- and Post-Transplant Care, Liver Disease, Liver Pre- and Post-Transplant Care, Mammography, MRI, Neurology, Neurosurgery Consultations, Nuclear Medicine, Orthopedics, Pancreas Pre- and Post-Transplant Care, Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine, Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Primary Care, Pulmonology, Rheumatology, Ultrasound, X-ray