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Clinical Services
Seizure Surgery Follow-up and Rehabilitation Program
Epilepsy surgery can be life changing. In recognition of the complex adjustment process that may accompany surgery, the Comprehensive Epilepsy Program has established a wide-ranging pre- and post-operative support program for patients undergoing surgery. Our program has been internationally recognised, and provides a range of multidisciplinary services. These include specialist medical and neuropsychological reviews, and psychosocial counselling which are routinely provided at regular intervals. This is complemented by phone follow-up from specialist nursing staff and psychology graduates.
Research
Our outcome research program utilizes carefully followed cohorts of patients who have undergone epilepsy surgery and those with new-onset epilepsy. We are interested in long term prognosis of epilepsy and factors that determine outcome. This work is closely linked to the neuro-cognitive group where we integrate outcome aspects in the cognitive and psychosocial domains. Our research has been published internationally, and is recognised for its long term and varied perspectives of outcome after surgery. We have current research projects in the following areas:
- adjustment issues after surgery in adults, adolescents and children
- mood and sexual outcome of surgery
- cognition and memory function
- predictive models of outcome
- psychosocial outcome after epilepsy surgery compared to other conditions (ie: narcolepsy and cardiac disease)
- long-term seizure outcome after epilepsy surgery
- risk factors for seizure recurrence after surgery
- comparison of seizure outcome for types of epilepsy surgery
- mortality after seizure surgery
Key People
Associate Professor Sarah Wilson
Senior Neuropsychologist and Research Co-ordinator, Seizure Surgery Follow-up & Rehabilitation program
Email: sarahw@unimelb.edu.au
Dr Marie O’Shea
Deputy Director Clinical Neuropsychology and Clinical Co-ordinator, Seizure Surgery & Rehabilitation program
Email: marie.o’shea@austin.org.au
Penny Kincade
Epilepsy Patient Care Co-ordinator
Email: penny.kincade@austin.org.au
Dr Anne McIntosh
Co-ordinator, Long-term Follow-up
Email: a.mcintosh@unimelb.edu.au
Clare Averill
Research Nurse, Long-term Follow-up
Email: caverill@unimelb.edu.au
Publications
Some of our important publications are listed below. More publications and details can be found using the search engine PubMed or on Dr Anne McIntosh and A/Prof Sarah Wilson's University of Melbourne Profiles.
- McIntosh AM, McMahon JM, Dibbens LM, Iona X, Mulley JC, Scheffer IE, Berkovic SF. Effects of vaccination on onset and outcome of Dravet syndrome: a retrospective study. Lancet Neurology 2010 May 5 [Epub ahead of print].
- Mirandola L, Badawy RA, Saunders AM, McIntosh A, Berkovic SF, Jackson GD.Clinical features of seizures associated with parahippocampal/inferior temporal lesions compared to those with hippocampal sclerosis. Epilepsia 2010 March [Epub ahead of print].
- Wilson SJ, Wrench JM, McIntosh AM, Bladin PF, Berkovic SF. Profiles of psychosocial outcome after epilepsy surgery: The role of personality. Epilepsia 2009 Nov 3. [Epub ahead of print].
- Shirbin C, McIntosh AM, Wilson SJ. The experience of seizures after epilepsy surgery. Epilepsy and Behavior 2009; 16: 82-85.
- Wilson SJ, Wrench JM, McIntosh AM, Bladin PF, Berkovic SF. Personality development in the context of chronic epilepsy. Archives of Neurology 2009; 66: 68-72.
- Wilson SJ, Bladin PF, Saling MM. The burden of normality: A framework for rehabilitation after epilepsy surgery. Epilepsia 2007 (in press).
- McIntosh AM, Berkovic SF. What happens now? Ongoing outcome after post temporal lobectomy seizure recurrence. Neurology 2006; 67: 1671-73.
- Wilson SJ, Bladin PF, Saling MM, Pattison PE. Characterising psychosocial outcome trajectories following seizure surgery. Epilepsy & Behavior 2005; 6: 570-580.
- McIntosh AM, Kalnins RM, Mitchell LA, Berkovic SF. Seizures in the early post-operative weeks after temporal lobectomy predict subsequent seizure recurrence. Annals of Neurology 2005; 57: 283-8.
- Wrench J, Wilson SJ, Bladin PF. Mood disturbance before and after seizure surgery: A comparison of temporal and extra-temporal resections. Epilepsia 2004; 45: 534-543.
- Wilson SJ, Bladin PF, Saling MM. Paradoxical results in the cure of chronic illness: The 'burden of normality' as exemplified following seizure surgery. Epilepsy & Behavior 2004; 5: 13-21.
- McIntosh AM, Kalnins RM, Mitchell LA, Fabinyi GCA, Briellmann RS, Berkovic SF. Temporal lobectomy: long term seizure outcome, late recurrence and risks for seizure recurrence. Brain 2004; 127: 2018-2030.
- Baird AD, Wilson SJ, Bladin PF, Saling MM, Reutens D. The amygdala and sexual drive: insights from temporal lobe resection in intractable epilepsy. Annals of Neurology 2004;55:87-96.
- Berkovic SF, Arzimanoglou A, Kuzniecky R, Harvey AS, Palmini A, Andermann F. Hypothalamic hamartoma and seizures: a treatable epileptic encephalopathy. Epilepsia 2003;44:969-73.
- Freeman JL, Harvey AS, Rosenfeld JV, Wrennall JA, Bailey CA, Berkovic SF. Generalized epilepsy in hypothalamic hamartoma: evolution and postoperative resolution. Neurology 2003;60:762-767.
- Baird AD, Wilson SJ, Bladin PF, Saling MM, Reutens D. Sexual outcome after epilepsy surgery. Epilepsy & Behavior 2003;4:268-278.
- Baird AD, Wilson SJ, Bladin PF, Saling MM, Reutens D. Hypersexuality after temporal lobe resection. Epilepsy & Behavior 2002;3:173-181.
- Savage GR, Saling MM, Davis CW, Berkovic SF. Direct and indirect measures of verbal relational memory following anterior temporal lobectomy. Neuropsychologia 2002;40:302-316.
- McIntosh AM, Wilson SJ, Berkovic SF. Seizure outcome after temporal lobectomy: current research findings and practice. Epilepsia, 2001;42:1288-1307.
- Rosenfeld JV, Harvey AS, Wrennal, Zacharin M, Berkovic SF. Transcallosal resection of hypothalamic hamartomas, with control of seizures, in five children with gelastic epilepsy. Neurosurgery 2001;48:108-118.
- Wilson SJ, Bladin PF, Saling MM. The ‘Burden of Normality’: concepts of adjustment after seizure surgery. Journal of Neurology, Neurosurgery & Psychiatry 2001;70:649-656.
- Wilson SJ, Bladin PF, Saling MM, McIntosh AM, Lawrence J. The longitudinal course of adjustment after seizure surgery. Seizure 2001;10:165-172.
- Curatolo JM , Macdonell RA, Berkovic SF, Fabinyi GCA. Intraoperative monitoring to preserve central visual fields during occipital corticectomy for epilepsy. Journal of Clinical Neuroscience 2000;7:234-237.
- Bladin PF, Wilson S, Saling M, Kincade P, McIntosh A, O'Shea M. Outcome assessment in seizure surgery: the role of post-operative adjustment. Journal of Clinical Neuroscience 1999;6:313-318.
- Macdonell RAL, Jackson GD, Curatolo JM, Abbott DF, Berkovic SF, Carey LM, Syngeniotis A, Fabinyi GC, Scheffer IE. Motor cortex localisation using fMRI and transcranial magnetic stimulation. Neurology 1999;53:1462-1467.
- Wilson SJ, Saling MM, Lawrence J, Bladin PF. Outcome of temporal lobectomy: expectations and the prediction of perceived success. Epilepsy Research 1999;36:1-14.
- Wilson SJ, Kincade P, Saling MM, Bladin PF. Patient readmission and support utilisation post-anterior temporal lobectomy. Seizure 1998;7:1-6.
- Wilson SJ, Saling MM, Kincade P, Bladin PF. Patient expectations of temporal lobe surgery. Epilepsia 1998;39:167-174.
- Ho SS, Newton MR, McIntosh AM, Kalnins RM, Fabinyi GC, Brazenor GA, McKay WJ, Bladin PF, Berkovic SF. Perfusion patterns during temporal lobe seizures: relationship to surgical outcome. Brain 1997;120;1921-28.
- Popovic EA, Fabinyi GCA, Brazenor GA, Berkovic SF, Bladin PF. Temporal lobectomy for epilepsy-complications in 200 patients. Journal of Clinical Neuroscience 1995;2:238-244.
- Berkovic SF, McIntosh AM, Kalnins RM, Jackson GD, Fabinyi GCA, Brazenor GA, Bladin PF, Hopper JL. Pre-operative MRI predicts outcome of temporal lobectomy: an actuarial analysis. Neurology 1995;45:1358-1363.
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