Why a 5-Day Inpatient Epilepsy Diagnosis?
Epilepsy is not a single disease — it is a spectrum of seizure disorders with profoundly different underlying causes, seizure types, and optimal treatments. An outpatient EEG capturing 20–30 minutes of brain activity misses approximately 50% of interictal epileptiform discharges. A single MRI without an epilepsy-specific protocol misses structural lesions in 15–20% of focal epilepsy cases.
The 5-day inpatient program at Eber Medical Group was designed to solve this diagnostic gap: comprehensive neurophysiology combined with advanced neuroimaging, full laboratory workup, and — uniquely — a parallel Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) diagnostic assessment. The result: two parallel, individualized treatment plans (Western medicine + TCM) delivered simultaneously.
Total cost: up to 25,000 CNY for the 5-day inpatient program. Additional specialized tests (PET, invasive EEG, genetic panel) are available by clinical indication and priced separately.
Day-by-Day: What Happens During the 5-Day Program
Day 1: Admission and Initial Neurological Assessment
On admission day, the senior neurologist-epileptologist (highest category) conducts a comprehensive initial assessment:
- Detailed seizure history: onset age, seizure types, frequency, duration, triggers, postictal period
- Family history and birth/developmental history
- Complete neurological examination: cranial nerves, motor system, coordination, reflexes, sensory function
- Neuropsy screening (MMSE or equivalent)
- Review of all previous EEGs, MRIs, and treatment history
- Blood draw for full laboratory panel (CBC, metabolic panel, infection screen, antiepileptic drug levels)
Simultaneously, admission routine EEG is performed. Electrode placement follows international 10–20 system. Duration: 30–45 minutes including hyperventilation and photic stimulation provocation.
Day 2: Video-EEG Monitoring (24–48 hours)
The centerpiece of the program. The patient is connected to continuous video-EEG monitoring — simultaneous video and EEG recording allowing correlation of clinical behavior with electrographic changes. Goals:
- Capture interictal epileptiform discharges across a full sleep-wake cycle
- Record at least one habitual seizure where possible
- Characterize seizure semiology (focal vs. generalized onset)
- Identify probable epileptogenic zone
- Rule out non-epileptic psychogenic events (PNES)
If a spontaneous seizure is not captured, sleep deprivation EEG (performed after a supervised sleepless night) is used on Day 3 to increase yield.
Day 3: MRI Brain (Epilepsy Protocol) — Philips 3.0T
Standard brain MRI sequences are insufficient for epilepsy workup. Eber's Philips 3.0T MRI is programmed with a dedicated epilepsy protocol including:
- T1-weighted 3D MPRAGE: Sub-millimeter cortical morphology; detection of cortical dysplasia
- T2-weighted FLAIR: Hippocampal sclerosis, gliosis, subtle white matter changes
- DWI (Diffusion Weighted Imaging): Acute lesions, encephalitis
- SWI (Susceptibility Weighted Imaging): Cavernous malformations, cortical hemosiderin, microbleeds
- Coronal T2 hippocampal series: High-resolution hippocampal volume and signal assessment (mesial temporal sclerosis)
Additionally on Day 3: any supplementary laboratory results requiring follow-up are processed. Hormonal, metabolic, or toxicological screening are performed as clinically indicated.
Day 4: TCM Comprehensive Diagnostic Assessment
This is what makes the Eber program genuinely unique. On Day 4, a senior TCM physician of the highest category conducts a full TCM diagnostic assessment — completely independent of the Western workup — following classical canonical principles:
- Detailed TCM interview (望诊 / 问诊): Onset and progression described in TCM terms; appetite, digestion, sleep, emotional state, cold/heat tolerance, urination/defecation
- Observation (望诊): Facial complexion, eye vitality, body constitution, posture
- Tongue diagnosis (舌诊): Coating (color, thickness, moisture), body color (pale/red/dark purple), texture (cracks, teeth marks, trembling), root coat
- Pulse diagnosis (脉诊): 28 classical pulse qualities assessed at cun, guan, chi positions bilaterally — identifies organ imbalances not captured by Western biochemistry
- Syndrome differentiation (辨证): Assigns a TCM diagnosis pattern — for epilepsy, most commonly "wind-phlegm obstruction" (风痰阻络) or "liver Yang excess" (肝阳亢盛) or "phlegm-fire disturbing the heart" (痰火扰心)
Day 5: Treatment Planning and Discharge Consultation
On the final day, two individualized treatment plans are developed and presented to the patient and family:
- Western medicine plan: Antiepileptic drug optimization (including drug level interpretation), recommendations for further investigation (PET, invasive EEG, genetic testing) where indicated, surgical candidacy assessment (VNS, DBS-ANT, resective surgery), and follow-up schedule
- TCM treatment plan: Individualized herbal formula (typically Di Tan Tang variant for wind-phlegm patterns; Long Dan Xie Gan Tang for liver fire; acupuncture protocol with point selection, frequency, duration; dietary recommendations)
What the 25,000 CNY Includes — and What's Extra
| Included in 25,000 CNY base | Available as addition (priced separately) |
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After the 5-Day Program: Treatment Options
Based on the 5-day diagnostic findings, patients may proceed to:
- Optimized antiepileptic drug therapy: Many patients achieve seizure control with correct drug selection and dosing — guided by the detailed epilepsy classification now established
- VNS (Vagus Nerve Stimulation): For drug-resistant epilepsy — 300,000–400,000 CNY total; pioneered in China by Dr. Sun Chenyan
- Resective surgery: For focal epilepsy with identifiable structural lesion — potentially curative
- DBS (ANT target): For generalized or multifocal refractory epilepsy
- TCM treatment course: Herbal + acupuncture program as standalone or adjunct
- Ketogenic diet program: For pediatric refractory epilepsy — dietician-supervised
For International Patients: Practical Logistics
The 5-day epilepsy diagnostic program is specifically designed to be efficient for international patients. Eber's international coordinator arranges:
- Pre-admission review of existing EEGs and MRIs (free, within 48h of submission)
- Medical visa invitation letter
- Airport pickup from Qingdao Liuting Airport
- 5-star hotel adjacent to hospital (~500 CNY/night) or inpatient ward accommodation
- English/Russian/Arabic interpretation throughout
- Discharge report in English with full treatment recommendations
- Telemedicine follow-up at 1 and 3 months