Evaluation of the patient with epilepsy

Accurate evaluation of the patient with epilepsy is the first step toward developing an effective treatment regimen. Many problems can occur when patients who have had seizures are not assessed properly. A seizure may be caused by conditions other than epilepsy. If epilepsy is the cause, knowing the type of seizure and identifying epilepsy syndromes as early as possible is vital. An incorrect diagnosis can leave the patient with uncontrolled disease, leading to debilitating morbidity that in most cases can be treated effectively. Patients who would be good candidates for surgical intervention benefit by being identified early to prevent long periods, perhaps years, with uncontrolled disease. Understanding the type of seizure or epilepsy syndrome also determines the type of antiepileptic drugs that should be selected. Early, accurate evaluation and diagnosis are 2 of the most important aspects of treatment.