Pediatric Epilepsy Diagnosis

Get testing and diagnosis of childhood seizures and epilepsy symptoms at University Children’s Health Epilepsy Center, which is accredited by the National Association of Epilepsy Centers.

We are the highest-level epilepsy center and the only one of its kind in South and Central Texas.

Ask for an Epilepsy Referral

Seek expert care if you think your child or teen may be having seizures or if your child has epilepsy that’s not responding to anti-seizure medications. Ask your child’s pediatric primary care doctor for a referral to see an epilepsy specialist at our South Texas Comprehensive Epilepsy Center.

Benefits of an Epilepsy Center

Comprehensive epilepsy centers like University Children’s Health have advanced technology to diagnose epilepsy, evaluate the type of seizures and determine where the seizures start in the brain. 

Preparing for an Epilepsy Evaluation

Send your child’s past primary care or neurology records to your University Children’s Health doctor before your first appointment. Bring the following to your appointment if available:

• Videos of concerning events (seizures)
• Results of any previous imaging tests, such as:
  
  • Brain magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)
  • Head computed tomography (CT)
  • Electroencephalogram (EEG)
• List of past and present anti-seizure medications your child takes and the response to these medications

Epilepsy Clinical Evaluation

Your doctor will ask questions about your child’s medical history and perform a physical exam. Reviewing any videos of events can also help your doctor check for signs of epilepsy. Testing for epilepsy may include:

• Brain imaging tests to look for changes inside the brain
  • MRI
  • PET
  • SPECT
• EEG is a safe, painless way to look for abnormal brain electrical activity 
  • High-density
  • VEEG or video electroencephalography (inpatient EEG with video recording in the Epilepsy Monitoring Unit) 
• Neuropsychological testing to determine the relationship between how your child thinks and behaves

These tests can show if there is something different about your child's brain structure that may cause seizures. Your doctor and other specialists put together all the information to make a diagnosis. 

VEEG Epilepsy Monitoring Unit for Kids

Our six-bed pediatric VEEG Epilepsy Monitoring Unit (EMU) diagnostic technology helps identify the best treatment options for your child. A highly trained multispecialty team evaluates your child’s brain activity and observes what happens during seizures. The continuous monitoring typically takes place over two to five days in the hospital.

When it’s Not Epilepsy

Sometimes certain symptoms, events or health conditions can seem like seizures and epilepsy, but they are not. Talk to your doctor if you have any concerns about your child’s movement, sleep, psychological disorders and migraines that can have similar symptoms.

Tailored Epilepsy Treatment Plans

Trust our experts to make the right diagnosis, whether epilepsy or another neurological condition, and guide you toward the right treatment. Collaboration among our neurology specialists will result in the most effective, personalized epilepsy treatments for your child.