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Mayo Clinic is an in-network provider for millions of people. In most cases, a physician referral is not required. For more information or to schedule an appointment today visit mayoclinic.org or call 800.446.2279.

ADVANCED IMAGING TECHNOLOGIES

Concerned about epilepsy? Ask your physician about these powerful diagnostic tools:

• SISCOM (Subtraction Ictal SPECT Co-registered to MRI): A non-invasive procedure developed by Mayo Clinic. A tracer injected into the patient’s bloodstream tags red blood cells at the site in the brain where seizures originate. A specialized computer then pairs multiple SISCOM scans with MRI scans to reveal the precise physical location of the seizure hotspot.
• Electroencephalography (EEG): A non-invasive procedure that records patient brainwave activity, which may help in diagnosing seizure type, and in certain patients, can help to identify the area of seizure onset.
• Inpatient video-EEG monitoring: Monitoring that can be used to confirm or rule out epilepsy, identify seizure type, and find the brain location where seizures begin. Inpatient video-EEG monitoring has been shown to detect previously undiagnosed seizures in up to 20 percent of adults who undergo the procedure.
• Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI): Specialized MRI scanning may detect very subtle asymmetries that indicate the side of the brain where seizures start. Mayo Clinic researchers have developed several MRI techniques to detect subtle abnormalities that are often missed.
• Positron Emission Tomography (PET): PET is potentially helpful in patients who have partial seizures but MRI does not prove an abnormality is causing the problem.
• Neuropsychological testing: Techniques to measure memory and cognition, and identify areas of the brain that are not functioning normally.