St. Charles Epilepsy Center

St. Charles Epilepsy (Port Jefferson, NY) is a National Association of Epilepsy (NAEC) level 3 epilepsy center and an affiliate of the level 4 accredited New York University Comprehensive Epilepsy Center. We use the most advanced neurological testing and imaging techniques to diagnose and treat epilepsy. We also diagnose and treat seizure disorders and conditions that mimic seizures.

Our center offers a complete evaluation for epilepsy surgery, including intracranial electrodes and a broad range of surgical procedures for epilepsy.

You should talk to your physician and ask for a referral:

  • If your seizures have not been brought under control after three months of care by your primary care physician.
  • If you are seeing a general neurologist and your seizures have not been brought under control after 12 months.

Learn more about our epilepsy services and treatments 

Epilepsy Monitoring Unit

St. Charles Epilepsy is staffed with epilepsy and seizure experts trained in neurology, neurophysiology, neuropsychology, neurosurgery and sleep medicine. Our skilled physicians and technologists will provide you with a full evaluation. We review your previous records and test results and conduct a physical examination to diagnose your seizures.

Our inpatient epilepsy unit is dedicated to the diagnosis and treatment of seizures. We perform computer-enhanced video-EEG (electroencephalogram) monitoring to capture episodes that may be seizures or imitators of seizures. Our team can evaluate both adults and children. Video-EEG monitoring can diagnose epilepsy and also detect if it's in a surgically accessible area of the brain.

Inpatient video-EEG monitoring:

  • Detects where seizures come from in the brain to determine the appropriate treatment.
  • Determines the type of epileptic seizures a patient is experiencing, which helps guide therapy.
  • Diagnoses if a condition is epilepsy or one of its imitators.
  • Identifies the frequency of seizures in patients.

Inpatient video-EEG monitoring is a continuous EEG with ongoing video. Your seizure medications may be tapered or halted while in the hospital to provoke seizures for analysis while you’re under highly controlled conditions.

While in the monitoring unit, you can relax in your bed, sit in a chair or move around the room. We recommend wearing comfortable clothes that can be removed without pulling over the head and to bring reading materials and music.

We will evaluate your medical condition, stress factors and mood changes that commonly occur with severe seizures. If your episodes do not occur spontaneously, we may provoke them safely with medication reduction, sleep deprivation, exercise, flashing lights, hyperventilation (over-breathing) or hypnosis.

We offer diagnostic video-EEG testing on an outpatient basis. You can come to St. Charles Hospital for the EEG set-up and then return home and go to work during the testing process. This process usually takes one to three days.

During the set-up, our highly skilled technologist will discuss the process and answer any questions you may have. There will be 16 to 24 electrodes placed on your head using a conductive paste and special glue to ensure the electrodes stay in place. Electrodes are small metal discs with thin wires connected to an amplifier to record your test results. These pick up tiny electrical charges produced by activity in the nerve cells of the brain.

After setup is complete, your head is wrapped with gauze to hold the electrodes in place. This process is completely safe and painless. We will provide you with supplies and instructions for use during the test and the disconnection after the test.

Epilepsy Services

St Charles Hospital

St. Charles Hospital

Port Jefferson, NY