In this section: Tuberous Sclerosis Complex | Focal Cortical Dysplasia | Hemimegalencephaly | Rasmussen’s Encephalitis | Sturge-Weber Syndrome
Hemimegalencephaly is a rare condition that causes one half of the brain to be abnormally larger than the other. This is associated with frequent seizures that often lead to developmental delay. These seizures poorly respond to medications. Dr. Gary Mathern and colleagues have discovered that a certain trio of gene mutations are often the culprit that leads to this disorder.
Surgical treatment in the form of hemispherectomy is often required to control the seizures. Through a global hemispherectomy study called ‘HOPS’ led by our pediatric neurosurgeon, Dr. Aria Fallah, we are developing and validating a predictive tool to determine the likliehood of success in children with hemimegalencephaly and others being considered for a hemispherectomy in curing the seizures. Only through careful data collection, global collaboration and expert biostatistical analyses, we can significantly advance our treatments for these rare neurological conditions.
Children who continue to have seizures despite medical therapy may be candidates for curative epilepsy surgery
Curative Epilepsy Surgery (PDF) >
