Structured help for epilepsy patients: neurology and psychiatry combined!

Structured help for epilepsy patients: neurology and psychiatry combined!

In the heart of Vienna, a pioneering project is implemented to improve epilepsy diagnostics. The Hietzing Clinic has launched a unique cooperation between the neurological department and the 3rd psychiatric department in order to decisively optimize the treatment of epilepsy patients. Despite modern diagnostic methods, epilepsy remains imprecise in 20-30 percent of cases. Christoph Baumgartner, board member of the neurological department, indicates that misdiagnoses often lead to delayed treatments. As reported, the clinic relies on inpatient video-eeg monitoring, to make precisely diagnoses. It often shows that psychosomatic causes can be behind the seizures.

In addition to epDileptological care, the outpatient clinic of the Hietzing Clinic also offers help for patients with attacking diseases of unknown origin. These range from psychogenic non-epileptic seizures to sleeping diseases. An important focus of this ambulance is on the possibility of surgical interventions and postoperative aftercare. This contributes significantly to the clarifying demarcation between different types of seizures, since their symptoms are often very similar, the lmu-clinic .

The close connection between neurology and psychiatry is not only historically justified, but also essential in view of the complexity of diagnoses. Senior doctor Lorenz Pollak explains that about 10-15 percent of the supposed epilepsy patients have functional, dissociative seizures that are often confused with epileptic seizures. Cooperation in the clinic now enables comprehensive care for patients without additional transfers. The expertise of both disciplines helps to clarify misunderstandings and ensure that patients finally experience the correct diagnosis and treatment they are entitled to.