The Epilepsy Institute of New Jersey

The Epilepsy Institute of New Jersey https://epilepsyinstitute.com/

Can epilepsy change depending on the time of day?Yes.Many people are surprised to learn that seizures often follow patte...
08/02/2026

Can epilepsy change depending on the time of day?

Yes.

Many people are surprised to learn that seizures often follow patterns. Some occur primarily during sleep, others shortly after waking, and some are more likely when a person is sleep-deprived or under stress.

Recognizing these patterns can be incredibly important. They may help guide testing, medication timing, and even surgical planning for certain patients.

Keeping a detailed seizure diary—including the time of day, sleep habits, and possible triggers—can provide valuable information to your epilepsy team.

Every brain has a story. The more we understand its patterns, the better we can tailor treatment.

Have you ever noticed that your or your loved one’s seizures happen around the same time of day?

07/31/2026

Every epilepsy journey has a story. ❤️

We’re honored to share a short preview of Vanessa’s story as the mother of our patient, Chris Costa.

Watching Chris’s progress has been incredibly meaningful for our entire team, and we’re so grateful that Vanessa was willing to share her family’s experience. Stories like hers remind other families that they are not alone and that there is always hope.

We’ll be sharing Vanessa’s full testimonial soon. We hope it offers encouragement, answers, and support to anyone navigating the challenges of epilepsy.

Happy World Brain Day! 🧠Today we celebrate one of the most remarkable organs in the human body—the brain.Your brain is t...
07/22/2026

Happy World Brain Day! 🧠

Today we celebrate one of the most remarkable organs in the human body—the brain.

Your brain is the command center for everything you do. It powers your thoughts, memories, emotions, movement, language, creativity, and every heartbeat and breath you take. It contains approximately 86 billion neurons, forming trillions of connections that allow us to learn, adapt, and experience the world around us.

At The Epilepsy Institute of New Jersey, we’re reminded every day just how extraordinary the brain is. Through advanced diagnostics, epilepsy surgery, neuromodulation, and personalized care, we’re committed to helping protect and restore this incredible organ for children and adults living with epilepsy.

Brain Health Tips:
• Get 7–9 hours of quality sleep each night.
• Stay physically active—exercise supports brain function.
• Eat a balanced diet rich in fruits, vegetables, healthy fats, and omega-3s.
• Challenge your brain by reading, learning new skills, or solving puzzles.
• Stay socially connected and manage stress.
• Protect your head by wearing helmets and seatbelts.
• Never ignore seizures or neurological symptoms—early evaluation can make a life-changing difference.

Amazing Brain Facts:
• Your brain uses about 20% of your body’s oxygen and energy, despite making up only about 2% of your body weight.
• The brain continues to reorganize and form new connections throughout life—a remarkable ability called neuroplasticity.
• Every memory, skill, and experience changes the structure of your brain.
• Your brain processes millions of pieces of information every second, most without you even realizing it.
• The human brain is still one of the greatest mysteries in medicine, with new discoveries being made every year.

Today, we also recognize the science, resilience, and innovation that continue to improve the lives of people living with epilepsy and other neurological conditions.

What if a device could detect a seizure before it spreads—and respond in real time?The Responsive Neurostimulation (RNS®...
07/22/2026

What if a device could detect a seizure before it spreads—and respond in real time?

The Responsive Neurostimulation (RNS®) System by NeuroPace is an innovative treatment option for some people living with drug-resistant focal epilepsy.

Often described as a “pacemaker for the brain,” the RNS System is a small device implanted within the skull with thin leads placed in the areas of the brain where seizures begin.

Here’s how it works:

Listens – It continuously monitors brain activity 24 hours a day.

Detects – It recognizes each patient’s unique abnormal brain wave patterns that signal a seizure may be starting.

Responds – Within milliseconds, it delivers a tiny electrical pulse designed to interrupt the seizure before it can spread. Most patients do not feel the stimulation.

Learns – The device records valuable brain activity that allows your epilepsy team to review seizure patterns and fine-tune treatment over time, making therapy increasingly personalized.

Unlike medications that affect the entire brain, RNS delivers therapy only when it detects abnormal activity, providing targeted treatment tailored to each individual.

At the Epilepsy Institute of New Jersey, we are proud to offer the latest surgical and neuromodulation therapies for patients with drug-resistant epilepsy. We work closely with our outstanding partners and clinical specialists at NeuroPace to ensure patients receive comprehensive care before, during, and after implantation.

If you or a loved one continues to have seizures despite trying two or more anti-seizure medications, it may be time to ask whether an evaluation at a comprehensive epilepsy center is appropriate. Many people are candidates for advanced therapies like RNS and don’t realize these options exist.

Every patient’s journey is unique—but for the right candidate, RNS can be life-changing.

Contact the Epilepsy Institute of New Jersey to learn whether RNS or another advanced epilepsy treatment may be right for you.

PET should be performed in all children with infantile spasms when prompt control of seizures is not obtained with medic...
07/10/2026

PET should be performed in all children with infantile spasms when prompt control of seizures is not obtained with medical therapy. Up to a third may have focal areas of hypometabolism, often including the posterior quadrant. Even when initial EEG shows classic hypsarrhythmia, repeat EEG can sometimes show localized or lateralized abnormalities. Unfortunately, the diagnosis of infantile spasms is the end of the line for many families and they are told (incorrectly) that they should simply get used to a lifetime of epilepsy, cognitive and neurological under-development.

The lesson: when we’re not actively looking for surgical candidates, we most certainly won’t find them.

– source: Chugani et al. Ann Neurol 1990. available from: https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/…/10.1002/ana.410270408

“PET scan” by Muffet is licensed under CC BY 2.0

07/10/2026

Epilepsy care is rarely about one doctor making one decision. The best outcomes often come from neurologists and neurosurgeons working side by side—sharing different perspectives, challenging each other’s assumptions, and carefully weighing every option before recommending a path forward.

At Joseph M. Sanzari Children’s Hospital, Dr. Tomycz serves as Director of Pediatric Surgical Epilepsy. And feels blessed to work alongside Dr. Eric Segal, Director of Pediatric Epilepsy.

Together, they form a multidisciplinary team dedicated to providing leading-edge care for children with complex and drug-resistant epilepsy across New Jersey and beyond.

In this clip, Dr. Eric Segal shares his perspective on epilepsy and the thoughtful, individualized approach that every child deserves. Every child with drug-resistant epilepsy has a unique story, and no single specialist has every answer. By combining expertise in seizure diagnosis, medical management, advanced testing, and epilepsy surgery, the team can create a treatment plan tailored to each individual patient.

These conversations happen behind the scenes every day, but they have a profound impact on the families who entrust us with their care.

Because when experts work together, patients benefit.

Three years later, Caleb’s story continues to remind us why second opinions matter.When Caleb and the McCarthy family tr...
07/09/2026

Three years later, Caleb’s story continues to remind us why second opinions matter.

When Caleb and the McCarthy family traveled from Wales to our program, they had already exhausted nearly every option available. Caleb had undergone extensive testing, was taking multiple anti-seizure medications, following a ketogenic diet, and despite bilateral electrode implantation, surgery had not been recommended. Yet his seizures continued every day, affecting his language, learning, and quality of life.

His epilepsy wasn’t obvious on MRI. Cases like Caleb’s—MRI-negative or non-lesional epilepsy—are among the most challenging to evaluate.

But challenging doesn’t mean impossible.

Using advanced intracranial monitoring, our multidisciplinary team was able to identify Caleb’s seizure network and perform a staged subtotal frontal lobectomy.

The result was a dramatic reduction in seizures and a remarkable improvement in his quality of life. 💜🙌

Today, Caleb is back in school, playing with his younger brother, learning to swim, and enjoying the childhood every family hopes for.

We remain incredibly grateful to Caleb and the McCarthy family for trusting our team and for allowing us to continue sharing their journey. Their story continues to inspire hope for families facing drug-resistant epilepsy around the world.

For families living with drug-resistant epilepsy, “no obvious lesion” should never mean “no hope.”

💜



Stories like Caleb’s remind us that epilepsy surgery isn’t just about operating—it’s about asking the right questions, using every available diagnostic tool, and looking beyond what conventional imaging can show. Sometimes a fresh evaluation can reveal possibilities that weren’t apparent before.

Some photos shared by the family during and after surgery. 📸
Full articles can be found on https://www.hackensackmeridianhealth.org

The Tomycz and McCarthy families. We love you guys!

07/08/2026

What happens when neurologists, epileptologists, and neurosurgeons sit down together and talk openly about the toughest epilepsy cases?

Ideas are challenged. Perspectives shift. And sometimes, those conversations change the course of a child’s life.

In this clip from an epilepsy dinner meeting, Dr. Tomycz speaks about a case that highlights why collaboration matters. It serves as a reminder that epilepsy care is never static, and that asking one more question or seeking one more opinion can make all the difference.

The best care doesn’t come from always having the same answer. It comes from bringing together different expertise with one shared goal: giving every patient the best possible chance at a seizure-free life.

06/29/2026

Ukraine War: innovation and study in Dnipro. Heal Ukraine Conference Harvard University. A little about our colleague and friend, neurosurgeon Rocco Armonda, and his important work in Ukraine.

06/25/2026

Neurosurgery in Ukraine: Landscape and Support : excerpts from the UA-MED Heal Ukraine Conference at Harvard University. (Dr. Luke Tomycz, neurosurgeon and Director of the Epilepsy Institute of New Jersey, and founder of the CoPilot Project at Razom for Ukraine) Link to full speech in bio

Address

150 Bay Street, Suit 317
Jersey City, NJ
07302

Opening Hours

Monday 9am - 5pm
Tuesday 8am - 5pm
Wednesday 8am - 5pm
Thursday 9am - 5pm
Friday 9am - 5pm

Telephone

+12013615445

Website

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