DEAR MAYO CLINIC: My son is in his 20s and has had epilepsy for years. He had undergone extensive evaluation over a decade ago. Lately, his medication hasn't been effectively preventing seizures. What are some of the innovations available to provide him the chance of seizure freedom and improve his quality of life?
ANSWER: An epilepsy diagnosis can be challenging for anyone. Epilepsy can be frustrating because of the unpredictability of seizures and the challenge many people have with medication.
The good news is that over the last two decades we have made several advances in both diagnosing and treating epilepsy. From a diagnostic standpoint, we have a better understanding of the genetic basis of epilepsy, with the discovery of multiple epilepsy genes guiding treatment decisions. Advances in imaging mean higher-quality brain scans that can help us better pinpoint a patient's seizure focal point and improve chances of providing seizure freedom. Soon we also hope to forecast or predict when seizures will occur.
