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Training opportunities

We currently offer an electroencephalography fellowship. Unfortunately, this is not a funded position at this time and external salary support is recommended.

The goal of this fellowship is to provide advanced training in electroencephalography. This is meant to lead to the successful challenge of the Canadian Society for Clinical Neurophysiology (CSCN) EEG examination within the fellowship’s calendar year.

Duration:  six months

A dedicated epilepsy fellowship is expected to launch in late 2021 or early 2022.

For more information about the fellowship, including contact information, please visit the Department of Medicine website and look under Fellowship Programs (PYG 6+) for “Medicine- Neurology- EEG.”

Epilepsy clinic operations

Indications for referral to the clinic include but are not limited to the following:

• Medically refractory epilepsy (where 2 or > meds have failed)
• Surgical investigations for Epilepsy or VNS adjustments
• Tumoral epilepsy
• Women’s Health in Epilepsy
• First Seizure (not otherwise seen by another neurologist)
• Diagnostic uncertainty re: is this epilepsy or not where an EEG has already been performed

Epilepsy clinic exclusions:

• Straight forward questions (such as long-standing epilepsy that is well controlled) asking for follow up. Therapeutic drug monitoring questions e.g. long-standing dilantin use with low levels, should be referred to e-Consultation; these will not be seen in the clinic.
• Most neurological symptoms that are not likely to be concordant with a seizure semiology or not involve altered awareness or loss of consciousness- e.g. tremor or falls NYD or pins and needles without CNS pathology or vertigo (epileptic vertigo is very rare) or constant psychiatric symptoms. Of course we do accept syncope vs. seizure referrals or TGA vs. seizure or PNES, as examples.
• Patients who have been seizure free for more than five years and are not planning to wean off medication unless there is a concern about side effects of medications or their interaction with a newly-introduced treatment.

If patients satisfy one or more of the following criteria, their care will be referred back to their primary care provider:

• Once surgical workup and surgery are completed, if patient followed previously by a general neurologist but referred to epilepsy clinic for a surgical workup and patient’s seizures are in remission
• If the patient is not interested in making medication changes or adjustments, or pursuing higher order investigations for ex. surgical evaluation
• If more than 18 months seizure free

Epilepsy clinic referrals

For urgent referrals, please contact the neurolog​​ist’s office directly.

Important note: only physicians may send a referral.

Please fax the following when referring your patient to one of the neurologists:

1. A referral letter
2. Clinical notes from previous consultants
3. Ima​ging studies (CT, MRI)
4. Reports of any abnormal relevant laboratory tests

Our office will call the patients with the appointment information, including time and location, and important documents that they must bring.

First seizure clinic referrals: at this time this is only available to staff at The Ottawa Hospital who assessed first seizure patients at The Ottawa Hospital.

Women with Epilepsy clinic referrals: please complete the following referral formand send it back to our office.

Please fax all referrals to 613-761 5360 OR 613-761-4752.

E-Consultations: we are available for rapid access via the Champlain LHIN E-consultation platform and usually answer your questions within 48 hours of receiving your referral.

Please contact econsultsupport@lhinworks.on.ca to set up your account if you do not currently have one. This will enable you to send us referrals.

Electroencephalography (EEG) at The Ottawa Hospital

How to order a patient for a routine EEG

A physician must complete and sign the EEG requisition. Patient demographics and medical information is required including name, date of birth, address, OHIP number, type of test requested, medications, diagnosis, relevant history and type of information sought.

Please indicate if you would like us to perform a sleep deprived EEG or arrange other activation procedures. Please note we have limited spots for sleep deprived studies and, if ordered to enhance the yield of abnormalities, would encourage you to instead consider repeating sequential routine studies.

Sleep deprived studies will be booked but have longer waiting times associated with them.

Download a requisition form.

How to order a 4-hour ambulatory video EEG

Ambulatory EEGs are performed at the Civic Campus. A routine EEG must have been ordered and reported before ordering this test. If a routine EEG has not been done within the previous six months, the referring physician will arrange to have one done prior to the Ambulatory Recording.

Please send copies of previous EEGs done elsewhere to the EEG Department along with a completed requisition.

If the patient is incapable of pressing the event button or unaware of when his/her spells occur, a responsible adult may be permitted to accompany them to maintain the diary and press the button. An exemption request can be made to the booking clerk at the time your appointment is being scheduled. This person must be available for the set-up and the entire duration of the recording.

Important note: Due to COVID-19 visitor restrictions patients can not be accompanied by another person at the EMU. Patients who need this kind of assistance should tell the booking clerk that they need to be accompanied so that other arrangements can be made.

Download a requisition form.

How to refer to the Epilepsy Monitoring Unit (NEUROLOGISTS ONLY)

Please complete the referral form

Please send

• the completed referral form
• copies of prior clinic notes
• test results including prior EEGs and
• neuroimaging if performed outside The Ottawa Hospital.

Incomplete referrals will be returned.

Last updated on: February 2nd, 2021