Epilepsy Division
Division Chief: Arthur C. Grant, M.D., PhD
The Division of Epilepsy and Clinical Neurophysiology encompasses the Epilepsy Center at University Hospital at Downstate, the clinical neurophysiology laboratories – electroencephalography (EEG), electromyography (EMG), evoked potentials – and the Clinical Neurophysiology Fellowship Program. The Epilepsy Center includes adult and pediatric epilepsy clinics, an inpatient epilepsy monitoring unit (EMU), and clinical and basic research programs.
Epilepsy Center
Clinical Services
The UHD Epilepsy Center provides expert patient care to patients with intractable or problematic epilepsy, with the goal of attaining control of seizures and optimal quality of life. Our full-time staff consists of adult and pediatric neurologists, nurse clinicians, social workers, and EEG technologists, all with special expertise in epilepsy. This multi-disciplinary approach has proved to be efficient and cost effective for patients with refractory epilepsy.
Our newly upgraded 6-bed inpatient monitoring unit is equipped with state-of-the-art digital video-EEG equipment. Long-term EEG monitoring can help to establish a definite diagnosis in patients with episodic symptoms of uncertain cause, diagnose and facilitate treatment of psychogenic seizures, quantitate seizure frequency, and localize epileptogenic brain regions to establish candidacy for epilepsy surgery. Both adults and children are admitted to the monitoring unit. In addition, portable video-EEG monitoring services are available for the critical care areas, in adults, children and neonates.
Services provided by the UHD Epilepsy Center include:
- Evaluation and treatment of first seizure (deciding whether to start anticonvulsant treatment, ordering and interpretation of diagnostic tests)
- Evaluation and treatment of difficult-to-control epilepsy
- New anticonvulsant medications
- Investigational antiepileptic medications
- Vagus nerve stimulator
- Ketogenic diet
- Evaluation for epilepsy surgery
- Electroencephalography (EEG)
- Epilepsy Monitoring Unit (continuous video-EEG monitoring)
- Neuroimaging (brain MRI, CT, angiography)
- Neuropsychological testing
- Clinical psychological services and counseling
- Social work services
- School services for children (evaluation and treatment of school and behavioral problems)
- Rehabilitation
- Counseling
- Pre-pregnancy and pregnancy counseling
- Patient and family support groups
As the only Comprehensive Epilepsy Center in Brooklyn and Queens, we are happy to provide sub-specialty consultation, or to follow patients long-term. Physicians who wish to follow their patients while admitted to University Hospital may apply for admitting privileges through the Department of Neurology
Faculty
- Arthur C. Grant, M.D., P.H.D, Epilepsy Division Director
- Katherine Mortati, M.D.
- Susana O'kula, M.D.
- Shennan Weiss, M.D.
- Bonnie Wong, M.D.
- Benjamin Cunningham, M.D.
- Luba Nahkutina, P.H.D.
- Marla Reid, N.P.
Staff
- Manuel Gonzales, M.D., EEG Tech Supervisior
- Gerald Cadet, EEG Tech
- Marie Choute, EEG Tech
- Min Ching Kuo, EEG Tech
- Tyisha Aponte, Administrative Staff
Visit the Epilepsy Center website
For more information or to refer a patient:
Call the UHD Epilepsy Center at
(718) 270-2959
UHD Epilepsy Center
SUNY Downstate Health Sciences University
450 Clarkson Ave., Box 1275
Brooklyn, NY 11203
Phone: (718) 270-2959
Fax:(718) 270-4711
All insurances, including Medicaid, are accepted.
Epilepsy Center Staff
To view our epilepsy physicians and staff, please see the below links