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Epilepsy Program
Clinical Activities
Epilepsy Clinic
Patients with wide range of epileptic disorders, diagnosis of spells, first seizure, complex and refractory epilepsy, and candidates for epilepsy surgery or complex medical treatment were assessed. Dr. Townsend and Dr. Javidan worked in the clinic 4-5 days a week. For mroe information about the clinic, please click here.
Seizure Investigation Unit
The SIUis located on T5B at VGH. It is the only adult epilepsy surgery program in British Columbia. In 2008, a total of 58 patients were monitored in the 2 bed SIU with 13 epilepsy surgeries performed and 3 with invasive monitoring. The technology within the SIU continues to advance with improved usage and accuracy of the seizure detection software. Extensive education is provided to the neurology nursing staff and patients/families by Janice Hendrickson, a skilled nurse practitioner. This year also witnessed the transition to a fully integrated hospital clinic for epilepsy patients.
Research Activities
Dr. Javidan has been actively developing a program of clinical research spanning the rates of non-convulsive status epilepticus, the localization and prediction of seizures by computerized analyses, the characteristics of patients with temporal lobe epilepsy and surgery without interictal epileptic activity on EEG and the weighted value of interictal and ictal EEG activity in the surgical outcome of patients with temporal lobe epilepsy. Recently, Dr. Javidan is involved in a project to assess the outcome of patients with non-convulsive status epilepticus.
Teaching Activities
The Epilepsy Program plays a key role in the education of Neurology residents and fellows. Neurology residents spend at least 3 months of their residency on the EEG/Epilepsy rotation where they interpret outpatient and inpatient EEGs, admit and are directly involved with the care of the patients in SIU and those seen in the Epilepsy Clinic, all under direct supervision. Dr. Javidan and Dr. Townsend are both active in CME and also have served as experts on provincial and national committees.
Members
Co-Directors: Dr. Mano Javidan and Dr. Tiffany Townsend
Dr. Mano Javidan is also the Director of the Neurophysiology Lab at Vancouver General Hospital, president of the Canadian Society of Clinical Neurophysiology (CSCN) and the member of the Executive Board, Canadian Neurological Society Federation. He has served as examiner for the EEG Board examination of CSCN since 1999.
Dr. David Katz, neuropsychologist, moved to California on a leave. In his absence, Dr. Runa Steenhuis is working part time for the program.