If you have epilepsy and/or experience frequent seizures, an inpatient stay in an epilepsy monitoring unit (EMU) can help your care team assess your condition more effectively. Our private, specialized EMU offers advanced monitoring services before, during, and after a seizure to help our neurology team develop an individualized treatment plan for you.
An EMU is a specialized inpatient unit that evaluates epilepsy and seizures. You will stay in the EMU for several days while your care team provokes seizures by tapering medications and using various triggers.
The goal is to monitor your seizure activity, collect information about which area of your brain is causing seizures, and learn about the severity of your condition in the safety of the EMU. This information enables your seizure care team to recommend future treatments, such as new medications or surgery.
The EMU can:
You need a referral from your neurologist or epileptologist (epilepsy specialist) before admission to the EMU.
Epilepsy monitoring is the gold standard for classifying epilepsy and seizure events. It can help provide your care team with answers about your epilepsy. It can also help your team create or adjust your treatment plan.
Eligible patients for epilepsy monitoring may include those with:
The EMU may use various tests and procedures to:
The primary diagnostic test in the EMU is a video electroencephalogram (vEEG). The EMU team attaches electrodes to your scalp to monitor your brain's electrical activity. The vEEG also records high-definition video to observe the physical effects of a seizure.
Combining brain and video monitoring provides the most complete picture of a seizure's neurological and physical manifestations. The vEEG captures data before, during, and after the seizure. It also has night-vision capabilities, allowing video to be recorded in low-light conditions.
Other diagnostic testing that can take place in the EMU include:
While in the EMU, the team may taper your existing medications and use other triggers to provoke seizures. They may also start you on new medications to see whether the drugs can better control epilepsy.
You will be referred to the EMU by your neurologist or epileptologist.
Before going to the EMU, you will receive information about what to expect during your visit. You can also talk to the EMU team to tell them your health history and ask questions about your EMU stay.
An average stay in the EMU is three to five days, though it may be shorter or longer depending on your needs. With that in mind, it's important to pack essentials and comfort items for your stay.
Consider bringing:
Also, you should arrange transportation to the hospital on the day of your admission and home from the hospital after your discharge.
You should take your epilepsy and other prescribed medications on the day of EMU admission unless otherwise directed by their health care provider.
After the admission process, a member of the EMU team will take you to your room. You will have a private room furnished with a flat-screen television, Wi-Fi access, a sitting area, and a recliner for a family member or friend to visit with you. Your room also will have a private bathroom and shower.
While at the EMU, nurses and other staff will be available at all times to help you with your needs. You should not do anything — even go to the bathroom — while unattended because of the risk of seizure. You will have a call button to ask for assistance.
To begin the monitoring process, the EMU team will attach electrodes to your scalp. These electrodes will be connected to an EEG machine that collects information about your seizures. They will take a baseline measurement of your brain activity early in your stay.
During your stay in the EMU, the team will taper off your medications in an attempt to make a seizure more likely.
They may also try other seizure-provoking techniques, such as:
In addition, your activities are captured on film to provide your neurologists with a very clear picture of what happens when your symptoms are active. Neurologists review your recordings daily and discuss a plan of care with you and your family.
EMU nurses and other staff are specially trained to respond when seizures occur. Patient safety is the top priority during your stay. Other safety protocols include safety rails and padding on patient beds.
While in the EMU, you may wish to read, watch television or movies, work, and more. These activities can help make your stay easier. You are also permitted to have visitors.
Before your discharge, the EMU team will reintroduce your antiseizure medications. During your stay, they may also introduce new medications to help control your seizures.
When you're discharged, it's ideal to have someone stay with you for a few days to assist with your recovery after your EMU stay. Ask your care team which activities to limit after you're back home and when it is safe to return to your normal routine.
You will have a follow-up appointment with your neurologist after your EMU stay.
UPMC has a level 4 epilepsy center in Pittsburgh, Pa. — the highest ranking given by the National Association of Epilepsy Centers (NAEC). We are a referral center with the capabilities to care for challenging seizure disorders that other epilepsy centers may not be equipped to handle. We are also at the forefront of epilepsy research, including leading and participating in clinical trials.
At the UPMC EMU, you can expect:
By UPMC Editorial Staff. Last reviewed on 2026-03-26.
