EPILEPSY PROGRAM LAUNCHED
	Dr. Cohen reviews data in the epilepsy monitoring unit at the Hyman-Newman Institute for Neurology and Neurosurgery at Beth Israel Medical Center For children and adults with epilepsy, control of seizures is now more promising at Beth Israel's Hyman-Newman Institute for Neurology and Neurosurgery (INN). The recent launch of a comprehensive epilepsy program makes available diagnosis and treatment of the more than 30 different types of seizures, including absence, complex-partial, myoclonic and generalized tonic-clonic. Despite therapy, 25 percent of epilepsy sufferers continue to have seizures. According to epileptologist and program director Jeffrey Cohen, MD, PhD, this program is especially well suited to them. "Our patients usually fall into one of four categories: those with an uncertain diagnosis; those with a clear diagnosis, but who are not responding to treatment; those with a definitive diagnosis considering a surgical option; and those in need of medication adjustments for seizure control." The program's cornerstone is a comprehensive epilepsy monitoring unit that continuously monitors seizures using state-of-the-art digital video and EEG. "To confirm a diagnosis, we will actually induce a seizure while the patient is in the unit to determine the precise region in the brain where the seizure occurs," says Dr. Cohen. A multidisciplinary team of epileptologists, neurosurgeons, neuroradiologists, psychiatrists, neuropsychologists, nurses, technologists, social workers and nutritionists work in consultation with referring physicians to keep them apprised of patient progress. To refer a patient, contact Dr. Cohen at (212) 870-9362. Dr. Jeffrey Cohen is the Epilepsy Program Director of the Hyman-Newman Institute for Neurology and Neurosurgery at Beth Israel Medical Center.