UKBB opens innovative unit for epilepsy and sleep patients

Eight-year-old Emma (fictitious but typical case) has been having problems falling asleep for some time and wakes up several times a night. Her parents keep hearing noises that they can't quite categorise. In the morning, Emma often feels tired and unrested. During the day, she is moody and has trouble concentrating. Emma's parents are at a loss as to how they can help their daughter to sleep better. The UKBB sleep consultation recommended further clarification in the sleep laboratory.

Luca's parents are also very worried. With their two-and-a-half-year-old son¹ started suffering from epilepsy a year and a half ago, which cannot be controlled well with medication. As Luca's seizures occur suddenly and at any time of day, his parents can't leave him alone for a moment. Magnetic resonance imaging revealed a circumscribed area in the brain. Could this be where Luca's seizures originate? And could an operation in this area help, as discussed by the various specialists in the epilepsy consultation at UKBB?

For patients like Emma and Luca, the new EEG telemetry and sleep laboratory unit at the University Children's Hospital Basel (UKBB) brings more light into the darkness and hopefully a better future. The UKBB has spent over a quarter of a year renovating Ward A on the fourth floor in order to complete the existing diagnostic services for patients with sleep disorders or epilepsy. The new unit is equipped with state-of-the-art equipment and enables comprehensive and highly specialised examinations. These include examinations that UKBB previously had to outsource due to a lack of infrastructure, which sometimes meant patients had to travel long distances.

Complete range of diagnostic clarifications in one place

Prof. Alexandre Datta, Head of the Department of Neuro- and Developmental Paediatrics at UKBB, opened the new unit at the beginning of January 2024: "With my specialised team of epileptologists and sleep physicians, specialists in neurophysiological diagnostics and nursing, we can clarify almost all epilepsies and sleep disorders that are unclear or do not respond to standard therapies at the highest technical level," says Prof. Datta happily.

The unit enables a full range of diagnostic investigations. For example, any breathing disorders can be identified in sleep medicine examinations during the night. Combined with examinations that take place during the day, unclear daytime sleepiness can also be clarified if necessary. Long-term EEG monitoring of brain activity can also reveal whether patients are suffering from epileptic seizures and the exact area of the brain from which they originate.

Such long-term examinations are useful for patients like Luca, for example, to clarify whether epilepsy surgery is necessary. "In such cases, other specialists are involved, such as the paediatric neurosurgery team led by Prof Raphael Guzman, but also our neuropsychologists, the radiology and nuclear medicine departments or others - depending on what is needed," explains Prof Datta.

Centre of international appeal

In addition to the new diagnostic possibilities, the new unit also provides the basis for innovative research into paediatric epileptology and sleep medicine. The new unit is integrated into the Centre for Epileptology, Sleep and Chronomedicine of the three Basel university hospitals: the University Hospital Basel, the University Psychiatric Clinics Basel (UPK) and the UKBB. This creates the ideal conditions for pooling expertise and providing the best possible treatment for infant to adolescent patients in interdisciplinary collaboration.*and to ensure a successful transition from paediatric to adult medicine.

Prof. Urs Frey, Medical Director of the UKBB, says: "The UKBB is already a well-known centre for paediatric epileptology and sleep medicine, both regionally and nationally, but also beyond the country's borders. The new EEG telemetry and sleep laboratory unit expands and completes the existing diagnostic services to meet international standards as a highly specialised centre for epileptology, including pre-epilepsy surgery diagnostics and sleep medicine. The UKBB and Basel as a research centre will become even more prominent in these areas."

For patients like Emma and Luca, the new unit means one thing above all: hope for an accurate diagnosis and customised treatment. Finally, Luca will no longer have to travel to different locations for highly specialised examinations or spend long periods of time in unfamiliar surroundings. Emma will also be spared such unpleasant journeys. For both Luca and Emma, the new unit simply offers a calm and child-friendly environment in which they can feel well looked after and understood together with their parents.