Comprehensive Epilepsy Center
Nationally acclaimed epilepsy and seizure disorder care
Epilepsy impacts every part of your life, but you don’t have to navigate it alone. Whether you’re newly diagnosed or managing long-term seizures, Penn Medicine offers hope and life-changing expertise to help you live with greater confidence and freedom.
At Penn Medicine, we offer unmatched epilepsy care with our:
- Level 4 Comprehensive Epilepsy Center for the highest level of care possible
- Global academic reputation for complex cases and clinical trial breakthroughs
- Superior imaging technology that detects hard-to-find seizure triggers
- Inpatient Epilepsy Monitoring Unit (EMU) for continuous 24/7 diagnostic tracking
- State-of-the-art neurosurgical options, including advanced minimally invasive procedures
- Unique, dedicated care programs for genetics, pediatric-to-adult care, and pregnancy
As a Level 4 Comprehensive Epilepsy Center designated by The National Association of Epilepsy Centers (NAEC), we offer world-class modern facilities and a full spectrum of advanced treatments for seizure disorders and complex forms of epilepsy.
Conditions we treat
Finding clear answers with advanced epilepsy testing
The best care starts with an accurate epilepsy diagnosis. Our epilepsy center and neurodiagnostic labs have the highest-quality imaging technology available. We are often able to identify certain indicators of an epilepsy diagnosis that others may miss.
For complex or unusual seizures, our state-of-the-art inpatient Epilepsy Monitoring Unit (EMU) allows for close, around-the-clock patient monitoring by specially trained staff to better understand your seizures, provide the right diagnosis, and create the most effective treatment plan.
Compassionate care beyond seizure control
Seizures have a significant impact on every aspect of daily life, affecting physical abilities, social interactions, and emotional well-being. Addressing these complicated challenges will help to promote holistic well-being and quality of life for those living with epilepsy. At Penn Medicine, we’re here to help with resources and programs that provide care and support throughout your life.
If you're still struggling to control your seizures on your current anti-seizure medication, Penn Medicine offers a path forward. Our advanced diagnostic capabilities help us look deeper into your condition to pinpoint the right treatment approach, whether that means fine-tuning your dosage, introducing precision drug combinations, or offering access to promising clinical trials.
Once your plan is established, our care team closely monitors your progress and side effects to ensure your treatment stays effective. We also help you build daily routines and manage refills ahead of time, so staying on track is effortless. Every step of the way, Penn Medicine is dedicated to supporting your health and making your medication management as seamless as possible.
Some forms of epilepsy have a genetic component that can influence treatment decisions and disease progression. You may be referred to our Epilepsy Genetics Program if you:
- Have a family history of epilepsy
- Are concerned about passing epilepsy on to your children
- Have epilepsy alongside other neurological symptoms, movement disorders, or intellectual disabilities
Initially, you will meet with one of our genetic counselors to evaluate your testing options. We collect DNA through a quick blood sample or a simple cheek swab. Once your results are ready, you will meet with our team again to discuss the findings and what they mean for your care.
Most people with epilepsy experience their first seizures during childhood. Moving from pediatric to adult epilepsy care, usually around age 18, can feel overwhelming after years with a trusted care team. Penn Medicine’s Transition of Care Program is designed to make this shift as seamless and reassuring as possible.
Our team collaborates closely with your pediatric providers to match you with the right adult specialist. To ensure continuity, we coordinate both your initial appointment with your new doctor and a six-week follow-up with a nurse practitioner.
- Initial visit: Your new adult epilepsy specialist reviews your medical history and care plan with you and your family, performs a physical exam if needed, and takes time to answer all your questions.
- Six-week follow-up: A nurse practitioner discusses key differences between pediatric and adult care and ensures you feel comfortable and supported with your new team and treatment strategy.
Penn Medicine partners directly with Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP) on a dedicated transition program for young adults with tuberous sclerosis complex (TSC)—a genetic condition that causes epilepsy and impacts multiple organ systems.
Planning for or navigating pregnancy with epilepsy brings unique considerations, but with the right support, you can look forward to a healthy pregnancy and baby. Seizure risk may increase during pregnancy, so pregnant women with epilepsy require more frequent monitoring. Women with epilepsy who are pregnant or considering pregnancy may join Penn Medicine’s Epilepsy Pregnancy Pathways Program.
Led by experienced nurse practitioners and physicians specializing in epilepsy, our teams work with your obstetrician and epileptologist to ensure the highest quality care while keeping your seizures under control. Together, we tailor every detail of your care from preconception to postpartum, including medication management, labor and delivery planning, and ongoing monitoring to keep both you and your baby safe and supported.
The Epilepsy Pregnancy Pathways Program consists of four visits. You will have one visit during each trimester of pregnancy and the last visit six weeks after delivery. After this last visit, you will return to the normal schedule of follow-up visits with your regular provider.
The right treatment, whether that is medication or surgery, is critical for living well with epilepsy. But managing other factors can help you achieve the best health possible and keep you safe.
Our specialists help people with epilepsy work on healthy habits, including:
- Avoiding seizure triggers, such as flashing lights
- Refraining from alcohol and recreational drug use
- Eating a well-balanced diet without skipping meals
- Getting enough sleep
- Reducing stress and anxiety
- Staying hydrated
- Taking steps to prevent illness by frequently washing hands, avoiding contact with sick people, and getting a flu shot every year
Even if your epilepsy is well-controlled, there is always a chance you’ll have a seizure. Living with some basic safety measures can help ensure that you’ll be safe if you have a seizure. Be sure that your friends, family, and coworkers know what to do if you have a seizure. Never swim or hike alone. Understand your state driving laws around seizures and make sure to follow them.
Stop seizures before they start
We don’t just follow the latest advancements in epilepsy treatment—we pioneer them. Discover how we are using Responsive Neurostimulation (RNS®), a breakthrough "pacemaker for the brain," to monitor brainwaves and stop seizures before they start.
The future of epilepsy care, right here at Penn
As part of an academic medical center, many Penn Medicine physicians are also active researchers, leading epilepsy studies and clinical trials that give our patients access to the most advanced therapies available. Our research drives safer, more personalized, and highly targeted care for drug-resistant epilepsy.
Key areas of innovation happening now
These innovative approaches could transform how seizures are detected, treated, and managed:
- Continuous brain monitoring: Long-term implantable monitoring (DETECT LTFU / Minder System) captures hard-to-detect seizures to guide more accurate treatment decisions.
- Targeted gene therapy: First-in-human trials (GenTLE study / AMT-260) deliver one-time, MRI-guided gene therapy directly to the seizure focus to treat the root cause of temporal lobe epilepsy.
- Rapid outpatient rescue: Inhaled treatments (Staccato Alprazolam Phase 3) aim to stop prolonged seizures within 90 seconds outside the hospital.
- Next-generation medications: Novel therapies (BHV-7000 and XEN1101) offer new mechanisms of action for adults with hard-to-treat focal and generalized seizures.
Through these pioneering trials, Penn Medicine continues to move beyond traditional symptom management toward safer, more effective, and life-changing epilepsy care.
World-class epilepsy care right in your neighborhood
Managing seizures takes a caring team that’s in your corner. Explore Penn Medicine locations near you to find leading neurologists and tailored epilepsy therapies.
Our doctors
Our providers work with you to plan and deliver exceptional treatment and personalized care.
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Patient stories
Actress returns to the stage after finding seizure relief
“Even though it had only been five years, epilepsy had taken away [the] career that meant so much to me.”
Epilepsy surgery gave Ann Rossi a new lease on life
“I was lucky if I could hold on to a thought for more than a few seconds. Now I’m retaining information for a couple of weeks. I’m having a hard time describing this experience as anything but life-changing.”
A tiny laser gave one patient relief from lifelong seizures.
"Minimally invasive surgery with lasers allows us access to areas [of the brain] that were traditionally not accessible in many patients."
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