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The Krembil Neuroscience Centre is home to one of the largest adult epilepsy programs in Canada. We offer the full range of medical treatment, including diagnosis, management and support groups for those living with epilepsy. Our goal is to partner with community organizations so that patients are able to bridge their medical care with the necessary support needed to live life to the fullest.

According to the World Health Organization, epilepsy is the most common serious neurological condition in the world. Despite the fact that as many as 1 in every 1,000 Canadians, or 1% of the population is affected by epilepsy the condition remains relatively misunderstood in this country.

Epilepsy in Adults:
Epilepsy is a brain disorder that causes signals to be sent improperly from the brain. These confused signals cause seizures (involuntary sensations, movements or convulsions). Epilepsy can begin at any age and can be caused by brain damage or injury, abnormal brain development or an imbalance of chemicals in the brain.

The Epilepsy Clinic evaluates more than 1,800 patients annually. The KNC epilepsy team works closely with the Hospital for Sick Children (HSC) and the Bloorview Epilepsy Program of the University of Toronto. Interactions among these programs have created the largest academic research-oriented epilepsy program in the world.

State-of-the-Art Diagnosis:
The Krembil Neuroscience Centre is equipped with state-of-the-art diagnostic tools for identifying and investigating epilepsy. Our program consists of large team of EEG technologists as well as a five bed epilepsy monitoring unit (EMU). This is a special unit in which video and EEG monitoring are done simultaneously and continuously (1 to 15 days) to locate the source of the seizure/epileptic processes and to identify the seizures as either psychological or epileptic seizures.

Epilepsy Surgery:
Approximately 70 percent of patients with epilepsy are able to control their seizures with anti-epileptic drug therapy. However, for those who do not respond to this type of treatment surgery is a proven option to treat and in some cases eliminate seizures.

Gamma Knife:
Gamma Knife Radiosurgery is another type of treatment to provide long-term seizure control for patients with certain types of epilepsy. The Gamma Knife, a form of stereotactic radiosurgery, is a sophisticated radiation tool known worldwide for its precise treatment to targeted areas of the brain. The "Tools" of the Gamma Knife are the beams of gamma radiation that deliver single doses of radiation therapy with precision of less than 1 mm. In a single treatment session, 201 beams of gamma radiation focus precisely on the target. The exposure is brief and only the tissue being treated receives a significant radiation dose, while the surrounding tissue remains unharmed.

Benefits

• Since Gamma Knife radiosurgery is performed without incisions or general anesthesia, the usual risks associated with conventional neurosurgery, such as neurological deficit, infection and bleeding, are virtually eliminated.
• Patients are discharged from the Gamma Knife Centre on the day of treatment and are usually able to return to their normal activities within 24 hours.
• Gamma Knife technology is a recognized safe treatment. It has been in use for more than 15 years and over 300,000 patients worldwide have benefited from this treatment.

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