Hi Flossiebe, WELCOME!
I don't know what kind of tests you've had, but it seems like you're definitely due for more testing. Here are some of your options:
EEG (Electroencephalogram) – is used by a neurologist to determine whether there are any irregular electrical activities occurring in the brain which may produce seizures. It can help identify the location, severity, and type of seizure disorder.
An abnormal EEG does not diagnose epilepsy nor does a normal EEG reading exclude it.
Video EEG Monitoring – can be vital in the diagnosis of epilepsy and epileptic seizures. It allows the doctor to determine:
Whether events with unusual features are epileptic seizures…
The type of epileptic seizure, and…
The region of the brain from which the seizures arise.
Continuous Video EEG Monitoring – studies the brain waves over time with a patient staying in a special unit for at least 24 hours. Antiepileptic medication is stopped for the duration of this test, since the objective is for seizures to occur so the abnormal brain waves they produce can be recorded.
A video camera connected to the EEG provides constant monitoring, enabling the medical team to pinpoint the area where a seizure occurs and track the patient’s physiological response to the seizure. Continuous monitoring can also help distinguish between epilepsy and other conditions.
It can characterize the seizure type for more precise medication adjustments, and locate the originating area of seizures within the brain.
CAT Scan (Computerized Axial Tomography) or CT (Computed Tomography) – may reveal abnormalities (blood clots, cysts, tumors, scar tissue, etc.) in the skull or brain which may be related to seizures. It allows physicians to examine the brain, section by section, as the test is being conducted and helps to point to where a person’s seizures originate.
MRI ( Magnetic Resonance Imaging) – this detailed picture of brain structures helps physicians locate possible causes of seizures and identify areas that may generate seizures.
An MRI offers doctors the best chance of finding the source of seizures. Because seizures can arise from scar tissue in the brain, an MRI can show scar tissue and allow doctors to determine the nature of it.
The images produced from the MRI are extremely precise. The information provided is valuable in the diagnosis and treatment of individuals with epilepsy.
Functional MRI – takes images in “real time” sequence and faster than the traditional MRI. By providing information about active brain tissue function and blood delivery, it is more precise and is often used to create a “map” of the brain and indicate where language, motor, and sensory areas are located.
PET (Positron Emission Tomography) — is a scanning technique which detects chemical and physiological changes related to metabolism.
By measuring areas of blood flow and metabolism, the PET scan is used to locate the site from which a seizure originates. A functional image of brain activity is important because these changes are often present before structural changes occur in tissues. The information provided by the PET scan is valuable in the diagnosis of seizure type.
MEG (Magnetoencephalography) – this technique has been available for several decades, but it is only recently that scanners involving the whole head have been available.
MEG is most often used to find the precise point in the brain where the seizures start.
While MEG is similar in concept to EEG, it does not require electrodes and it can detect signals from deeper in the brain than an EEG.
MEG is quite useful for a mapping of the brain. It quickly provides high resolution images of the brain, used to compare function in relationship to behavior.
Doctors also are experimenting with brain scans called MRS (Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy) — that can detect abnormalities in the brain’s biochemical processes, and with near-infrared spectroscopy, a technique that can detect oxygen levels in brain tissue.
Resources:
http://www.ninds.nih.gov/disorders/e….htm#152763109
http://www.netdoctor.co.uk/diseases/facts/epilepsy.htm
http://www.med.nyu.edu/cec/diagnosin…onitoring.html
http://www.everydayhealth.com/epilep…roimaging.aspx
http://www.nyuepilepsy.org/cec/diagn…ostic/meg.html
http://www.epilepsyyork.org/diagnosing epilepsy.htm
http://www.theuniversityhospital.com…ostictests.htm
http://www.mayfieldclinic.com/PE-SPECT.htm
