For those who have seizures, getting the right diagnosis and treatment is vital. Overlake and EvergreenHealth have joined together to form the Eastside Neuroscience Institute to deliver comprehensive care to those patients. “When people have a seizure, usually what we’re describing is an abnormal electrical activity in the brain,” said Dr. Thomas Bullock, Eastside Neuroscience Institute and epilepsy program medical director at Overlake. “Our brains are bioelectric computers. When an area becomes abnormal, it will often cause a brain wave, which will spread around the brain and cause symptoms.” These epileptic seizures cause problems with movement, muscle control, sensations, vision, speech and/or awareness. With non-epileptic seizures, however, there is no abnormal electrical discharge in the brain. The causes can be psychological or physical. The providers at the Eastside Neuroscience Institute can help determine the type of seizures you’re having and provide a path forward. Dr. Bullock says it’s important to listen to patients to understand what they’re experiencing. “They’re all going to have their stories, and they’ll be telling us about spells and things that happen,” he said. “Often because of the symptoms associated with a seizure, they can’t offer that many more details. And us working together, asking questions, then pursuing a lot of medical evaluations to get to the bottom of things, that lets us get treatment.” The Eastside Neuroscience Institute offers advanced epilepsy treatments and will work with patients to build a customized treatment plan to help control seizures as much as possible. Possible treatments include medications, minimally invasive surgical procedures, device therapy, diet adjustments and mental health therapies. “As long as we can let people know that they’re welcome and we’re ready to help, I think that’s the starting place that’ll be best,” Dr. Bullock said. Epilepsy can greatly disrupt a person’s quality of life, so providers are passionate about finding the right treatment plan for each patient. “Finding a way to get those seizures to stop and getting people back on track, that’s been a really empowering part of this job,” Dr. Bullock said. To get more information on epilepsy and the joint neuroscience partnership, visit the Eastside Neuroscience Institute website. Sponsored by Overlake Medical Center and Clinics Segment Producer Joseph Suttner. Watch New Day Northwest 11 a.m. weekdays on KING 5 and streaming live on KING5.com. Contact New Day.