Epilepsy is one of the most common neurologic disorders; according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, over 2 million people have epilepsy in the United States. But there are several causes of seizures, like tumors, brain damage or strokes, as noted on the Lucile Packard Children's Hospital website. In order to determine the cause of seizures, physicians can use a number of diagnostic tests.
Blood Tests
The physician may run tests on the blood to determine if there are any conditions like infections, anemia, lead poisoning or diabetes, according to the Mayo Clinic. As noted in the Merck Manual, the doctor may also run a drug screen to see if this may be a cause of the seizures.
Electroencephalogram
As noted on the Mayo Clinic website, electroencephalogram measures the brain's electrical activity through electrodes that are attached to the scalp. Often there is a change in the activity in the brain when there is no seizure activity. The physician may evaluate the electroencephalogram while the patient is awake and asleep and record the results just in case there is a seizure during the evaluation.
Magnetic Resonance Imaging
An MRI evaluates the structure of the brain as noted on the Mayo Clinic website. An MRI can create detailed images of the brain and can show if there is any structural abnormality in the brain. MRIs can identify blood vessel abnormalities and small brain tumors, according to Epilepsy.com website.
CT Scan
A CT scan may also be used to evaluate the structure of the brain and can find structural changes in the brain that may be causing the seizures, according to the Lucile Packard Children's Hospital website. CT scans are faster than MRI and can be performed in many medical centers, according to the Epilepsy.com website.
Lumbar Puncture
During a lumbar puncture--or spinal tap--the doctor inserts a small thin needle into the spinal column to remove some cerebral spinal fluid for testing, according to the Lucile Packard Children's Hospital website. Infections in the spinal fluid could cause seizures in some patients.
Positron Emission Tomography
A positron emission tomography scan uses a radioactive material to visualize different sections of the brain, according to Epilepsy.com. PET scans may be able to identify the section of the brain that causes partial seizures.
