Clinical Neurophysiology Laboratory
Services Offered
The faculty, section of neurophysiology, Baylor College of Medicine, directs and staffs the Clinical Neurophysiology Laboratory and the Clinical Neurophysiology Laboratory at Texas Children's Hospital. The laboratories offer an extensive range of services to assist in effective diagnosis and short- or long-term management of several neurological disorders. These services include:
- Epilepsy Monitoring Unit
- Neurophysiologic evaluation for epilepsy surgery - including sphenoidal, depth and subdural electrode recordings
- Functional cortical mapping, electrocorticography, and intracarotid amobarbital testing for language and memory (Wada Test)
- Routine EEGs
- Ambulatory monitoring
- Evoked potentials - somatosensory (SEP), visual (VEP), and brainstem auditory (BAEP) studies
- Intraoperative EEG and evoked potentials monitoring
- Polysomnography/sleep analysis - including CPAP evaluation and Multiple Sleep Latency Testing
To contact
Comprehensive Epilepsy Center: 713-798-8259
Clinical Neurophysiology Laboratory: 832-355-4029
Clinical Neurophysiology Laboratory at Texas Children's Hospital: 832-824-6055
Cost Control
All studies are tailored to meet each individual patient's needs. This is particularly important in the application of EEG-video monitoring. A clinical neurophysiologist confers with the technologist running each study to determine if enough data has been collected to make an accurate diagnosis. This is critical to avoid unnecessary costs in the diagnosis & management of the patient. Cost control can also be achieved through ambulatory EEG monitoring, which is used effectively for patients who may not require synchronized video monitoring along with the EEG record.
Staff
The Neurophysiology faculty consists of eight full-time clinical neurophysiologists who direct over 20 EEG technologists. Telephone consultation is available in the planning and in the reporting of results of studies, and includes the availability of immediate, typed reports within 24 hours of study completion.
Facilities
The Clinical Neurophysiology Laboratory consists of three fully equipped EEG-video monitoring suites, four fully-equipped sleep laboratories, two EEG labs, one evoked potential lab, and instrumentation at the beside to perform multiple types of studies. The laboratory at Texas Children's Hospital consists of two monitoring suites, two sleep labs, two EEG labs, two bedside EEG-video monitors for neonates and infants.
History
Clinical neurophysiology at Baylor College of Medicine spans over half a century:
- 1949: The Methodist Hospital established the first hospital-based EEG and clinical neurophysiology program in Houston
- 1949: Established first major comprehensive clinic for children with epilepsy
(Blue Bird Circle Clinic) - 1951: Entered into the field of epilepsy surgery
- 1951: Conducted the first application of radioisotope techniques to the localization of brain tumors in correlation with EEG findings
- 1953: Recorded the first EEG from the depths of the brain for detection of seizure focus
- 1954: Initiated service to Texas Children's as it opened as Houston's first hospital for children
- 1957: Performed the first intraoperative EEG monitoring of carotid artery surgery
- 1957: Published first modern textbooks devoted entirely to epilepsy in children
- 1959: Performed the first intraoperative monitoring of spinal cord function during aortic aneurysm and scoliosis surgery
- 1965: Recorded the first EEG during space flight (Gemini VII)
- 1969: Developed techniques and performed prolonged EEG and sleep monitoring in undersea habitat (Tektite)
- 1971: Opened first sleep lab in Houston
- 1972: Opened evoked potential laboratory
- 1972-4: Designed on-board EEG equipment for use by NASA and analyzed astronaut's sleep pattern during prolonged space flight
- 1974: Pioneered EEG/video/polygraphic monitoring studies
- 1975: Established Epilepsy Research Center which has received continuous support form National Institutes of Health since that time
- 1982: Developed intraoperative EEG and EP monitoring service
- 1991: Opened expanded Sleep Lab facilities
- 1991: Established the Clinical Research Center for Neonatal Seizures with support by National Institutes of Health
- 1991: Opened the Neurophysiology Laboratory at Texas Children's, with facilities for full services including EEG, EEG-video monitoring, polysomnography, evoked potentials, and intraoperative monitoring
- 1992: Contracted with National Institutes of Health to evaluate new anti-epileptic drugs
- 1994: Opened expanded EEG/Video monitoring lab facilities with paperless EEG technology
- 2000: Installation of new state-of-the-art digital instrumentation in the Epilepsy Monitoring Unit and Sleep laboratories.