Epilepsy is one of the most common brain disorders, affecting about 3 million people in the United States. The University Health South Texas Comprehensive Epilepsy Center (STCEC) is Central and South Texas’ only comprehensive epilepsy treatment center for adults and children with epilepsy.
Epilepsy causes seizures, an event in the brain characterized by a disruption in your brain’s electrical signals. When there is a burst of unusual electrical signals in your brain, you may have a seizure. A seizure can happen very suddenly and without warning.
San Antonio's Only Level IV Epilepsy Center
A partnership between University Health and UT Health San Antonio, STCEC is San Antonio’s only Level IV epilepsy center, the highest accreditation from the National Association of Epilepsy Centers.
The STCEC treats over 4,000 patients each year for epilepsy and seizure disorders. We offer the most advanced diagnostic and treatment options available, including innovative options for people whose seizures aren’t controlled by medications.
Learn more about our epilepsy team.
Types of Epilepsy We Treat
Types of epilepsy are categorized by what causes the seizures, and each category includes many different types of epilepsy and many different types of seizures.
Seizures are also divided into different categories. Generalized seizures involve the entire brain, and partial seizures occur in just one area of the brain.
Diagnostic Evaluations and Treatment
Comprehensive inpatient and outpatient diagnostic evaluations and treatments are offered for both adults and children.In a state-of-the-art 14-bed video-EEG monitoring unit, our specialists monitor and record seizure activity overnight.
Advanced Surgical Procedures
Advanced surgical procedures for children and adults range from vagal nerve stimulator (VNS) implantation to brain surgery.Epilepsy Clinical Trials
We conduct clinical trials for new seizure medications.Epilepsy Support
Support is available at outreach clinics through the Epilepsy Foundation of South and Central Texas in San Antonio, Eagle Pass, Laredo, Corpus Christi and Del Rio.Cryptogenic epilepsy is probably symptomatic epilepsy and has a likely cause, but the cause hasn’t been identified.
Symptomatic epilepsy is not genetic and has a known cause such as:
- Brain tumors
- Infection
- Severe head injury
- Stroke
Symptomatic epilepsy is more common in adults, particularly those over age 60. Treatment options include medication and surgery. Types of symptomatic epilepsy include:
- Hippocampal sclerosis
- Lennox-Gastaut syndrome
Genetic (also called idiopathic) epilepsy has no apparent cause. It’s likely due to genetics, even if there’s no family history of epilepsy. Approximately 30% of epilepsies are genetic, and most often seizures begin in childhood. Genetic epilepsy syndromes are usually treated with medication and children often outgrow many types of them.
Common types of genetic epilepsy are:
- Benign Rolandic
- Childhood absence
- Juvenile myoclonic