Epilepsy

This one-year ACGME accredited Epilepsy program provides advanced training in Epilepsy and Electroencephalography in candidates without and with prior fellowship training in Clinical Neurophysiology (i.e. 2 year combined program). The program is designed to provide knowledge and skills in the diagnostic evaluation and management of all patients with epilepsy. The trainee will become proficient in all aspects of diagnostic neurophysiologic evaluations, such as routine and prolonged outpatient and inpatient video-EEG recordings in the ICU and the EMU, including intracranial monitoring, brain mapping and intraoperative electrocorticography. Training will be also provided in neuroimaging (MRI, fMRI, PET, SPECT) and neuropsychologic/neuropsychiatric evaluation (including WADA testing) of patients with Epilepsy. Outpatient exposure will include participation in a dedicated neurostimulation clinic. Inpatient and outpatient exposure to pediatric Epilepsy will be also provided. The fellowship offers a structured educational curriculum with ample opportunities to conduct clinical research and teach trainees. After completion of the fellowship, the physician will be eligible to take the ABPN Epilepsy board certification.

Emory University serves as a major tertiary referral center for patients with epilepsy for Atlanta and the Southeast.  The faculty provides internationally recognized expertise in epilepsy and seizure disorders.

Clinical services offered by the faculty include:

• Epilepsy clinic at the Brain Health Initiative, including dedicated neurostimulation clinic (>15,000 encounters per year, including encounters in dedicated neurostimulation clinic)
• Outpatient (>1100 routine and 330 ambulatory EEGs/year) EEG at Brain Health Initiative and inpatient routine/stat EEG at Emory Main Campus Hospital (>850 cases/year)  and Emory Midtown Hospital (>530 cases/year)
• Epilepsy monitoring unit at Emory Main Campus Hospital, including dedicated intracranial EEG service (>1600 patient days/year, including 50 intracranial cases, leading to approximately 50 laser ablations/resections and 12 responsive neurostimulation placements per year)
• ICU EEG monitoring at Emory Main Campus Hospital (>1650 patient days/year)
• ICU EEG monitoring at Emory Midtown Hospital (>700 patient days per year)
• Epilepsy rotation at Grady Hospital including Epilepsy Monitoring Unit (>60 patients/year), continuous ICU EEG monitoring (>650 patients/year), routine inpatient and outpatient EEGs (>1600 cases/year) and ambulatory EEGs (>50 cases/year).
• Epilepsy Clinic at Grady Hospital (>450 patients/year)

Fellows spend approximately 10 months of their time split between the Emory Epilepsy Monitoring Unit (phase I and phase II monitoring services, 4 months), the Emory ICU Monitoring Unit (4 months), the Emory Continuity Clinic (1 month) and Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta (1 month). The remaining time is dedicated to Neuroimaging/Neuropsychology elective time (1 month) and research (1 month).  Our program additionally includes exposure to evoked potential/intraoperative monitoring (EP/IOM) for interested trainees (>700 cases/year at Emory hospitals and 120 cases/year at Grady hospital).

Didactic conferences include the following:

• Clinical Neurophysiology Fellowship Lecture Series (Tuesday and Thursday mornings, July-October)
• Weekly Combined Neurophysiology Conference at Brain Health Center Executive Park 12 (Thursday mornings, October-June)
• Weekly Epilepsy surgery conference (Tuesday mornings, adult and pediatric)
• Weekly Epilepsy lectures (Tuesday mornings, includes Journal Club and Chapter Review Sessions)
• Weekly Neurology Grand Rounds at Executive Park 12 (Friday mornings, September - June)

Fellows are additionally offered the annual American Clinical Neurophysiology Society In-Service Exam.

Research opportunities include genetics and epilepsy, brain imaging, transcranial magnetic stimulation, studies of epilepsy in special populations (pregnancy, childhood syndromes, and the elderly), EEG monitoring in the ICU, cognitive effects of epilepsy, studies of antiepileptic therapies (drugs, surgical resection, and neurostimulation) novel surgical diagnostic (stereo EEG) and therapeutic (laser ablation, responsive neurostimulation) modalities. Opportunities for conference attendance and poster presentations:  American Epilepsy Society, American Clinical Neurophysiology Society, American Academy of Neurology, Kiffin Penry Mini-fellowship, Southern Epilepsy and EEG Society and CHOA Stereo-EEG Conference.