Epilepsy Center Aachen

Since January 2021, the University Hospital RWTH Aachen provides a highly specialized treatment structure with the “Epilepsy Center Aachen”. Since 2024, the center has been an epilepsy center  officially accepted by the Germany Society for Epileptology (DGfE). 

The “Epilepsy Center Aachen” is the first of its kind in the region to improve and continuously develop the comprehensive medical care of children, adolescents and adults with epilepsy.

The Epilepsy Center Aachen brings together the expertise of many experts. The core of the team includes the Head of the Section of Epileptology at the Department of Neurology, Prof. Weber, the Head of the Section of Neuropaediatrics and Social Pediatrics, Prof. Häusler, at the Department of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine and the Head of the Department of Neurosurgery, Prof. Clusmann.

In addition, there are various other experts from cooperating clinics at RWTH Aachen University Hospital (Medical Center for Adults with Disabilities-MZEB, Social Pediatric Center-SPZ, Pediatric and Adolescent Medicine, Diagnostic and Interventional Neuroradiology, Neuropathology, Human Genetics, Nuclear Medicine, Gynecology and Obstetrics, Psychiatry, Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics, Psychiatry, Psychosomatics and Psychotherapy of Childhood and Adolescence) and Forschungszentrum Jülich (Physics of Medical Imaging).

In case of epilepsy in childhood and adolescence, the focus is particularly on the possible consequences of epilepsy for the general development and future prospects of those affected. Epilepsies of working age often have an impact on the social and professional situation, for which solutions must be found. Epilepsies in old age often occur as a result of other illnesses (such as a stroke) and are generally more easy to treat. As a university maximum care provider, the University Hospital RWTH Aachen with the Epilepsy Center Aachen can promote the best possible care for epilepsy patients of all these groups in an interdisciplinary environment with the highest university quality standards and great expertise.

By pooling existing expertise, it will be possible, for example, to improve the integrated care of epilepsy patients and patients with psychogenic non-epileptic seizures of all ages, to further develop an epilepsy surgery program for children, adolescents and adults and to coordinate treatment strategies on an interdisciplinary basis. It will also facilitate the mapping of common standards and knowledge networks as well as the expansion of expertise in the field of epileptology in the other specialist departments at the university hospital.

The center has the following clinical focuses in patient care:

• Pre-surgical diagnostics and epilepsy surgery for adults and adolescents. The aim for the next few years is also to treat younger children.
• Differential diagnostics (differentiation from non-epileptic seizures)
• Clinically integrated consultation for patients with genetic epilepsies.
• Counseling and treatment of patients with epilepsy regarding contraception and pregnancy.
• Treatment of patients with psychogenic non-epileptic seizures in adults, children and adolescents.
• Ketogenic diet
• Treatment of epilepsy patients with multiple disabilities