Medicine Grand Rounds feature weekly topic and case-based presentations designed to provide faculty and trainees with up-to-date knowledge about timely issues in internal medicine.

Title: The Critical Role of the Epilepsy Monitoring Unit in Differentiating Epileptic Seizures from Functional Seizures

Speaker: Dr. Mohamad Koubeissi

Format: In-Person

Objectives:

• Describe the clinical, electrographic, and semiologic features that distinguish epileptic seizures from functional (psychogenic nonepileptic) seizures, and explain how inpatient video-EEG monitoring in the Epilepsy Monitoring Unit (EMU) enables accurate diagnosis.

• Apply evidence-based EMU evaluation strategies to improve diagnostic accuracy, reduce misdiagnosis, and guide appropriate treatment decisions for patients presenting with refractory or atypical seizure-like events.

• Recognize health equity considerations in access to EMU evaluation, including disparities related to socioeconomic status, race/ethnicity, and health literacy, and identify strategies to promote equitable referral, diagnosis, and patient-centered communication for individuals with functional and epileptic seizures.