April 30, 2015

Epilepsy Program again achieves national recognition

For the eleventh consecutive year, the Vanderbilt Epilepsy Program has been designated a Level 4 center by the National Association of Epilepsy Centers (NAEC), the highest level of recognition.

For the eleventh consecutive year, the Vanderbilt Epilepsy Program has been designated a Level 4 center by the National Association of Epilepsy Centers (NAEC), the highest level of recognition.

Level 4 centers have the professional expertise and facilities to provide the highest-level medical and surgical evaluation and treatment for patients with complex epilepsy.

Vanderbilt has achieved NAEC’s designation since the the process was implemented in 2005.

“We are pleased to continue to receive this highest designation. This year, the requirements for center level designation were elevated, and our continued recognition reflects our commitment to excellence in the treatment of epilepsy,” said Bassel Abou-Khalil, M.D., professor of Neurology and chief of the Division of Epilepsy.

A national leader in treating epilepsy in children and adults, the Vanderbilt Epilepsy Program offers outpatient clinical care, adult and pediatric EEG laboratories, an eight-bed adult monitoring unit and a four-bed pediatric monitoring unit.

The program provides in-depth evaluation, including pre-surgical evaluation for difficult-to-treat epilepsy in children and adults. It also offers medical therapy and a variety of treatment modalities, including dietary treatment and vagus nerve stimulation.

It is active in epilepsy surgery, including laser ablation surgery and responsive neuro-stimulation. It is also involved with both basic science and clinical investigations, including drug trials, genetics and fMRI imaging.

Vanderbilt and LeBonheur Children’s Medical Center are the only epilepsy centers in Tennessee with NAEC recognition.