Elson La So MD

Epilepsy, Neurophysiology

Physician

200 1st St SwRochester, MN 55905
Phone+1 507-284-2511

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Summary

Dr. Elson So is Professor of Neurology and past Director of Electroencephalography at the Mayo Clinic Alix School of Medicine. He is a past president of the American Epilepsy Society (AES). He has also served on the Professional Advisory Board of the Epilepsy Foundation (EF), and the Council of the American Clinical Neurophysiology Society (ACNS). He is the past chair of the Section of Clinical Neurophysiology of the American Academy of Neurology. Dr. So is serving or has served on the editorial boards of Epilepsia, Epilepsy Research, and Journal of Clinical Neurophysiology. He has directed or chaired educational or research courses, symposiums and plenary sessions at the American Academy of Neurology, AES, ACNS, the Organization for Human Brain Mapping and the NIH. He chaired the Joint AES-EF SUDEP Task Force and the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS) Workshop on Sudden Unexpected Death in Epilepsy (SUDEP).

Dr. So’s research interests are in advanced imaging, SUDEP, and the natural history, treatment outcomes and electroclinical aspects of drug resistant epilepsy. Dr. So is co-editor of the book “MRI Negative Epilepsy: Evaluation and Surgical Management”. He is a named inventor of the Office of Intellectual Property of the Mayo Clinic for his role in the development of advanced ictal SPECT technologies. He received the 2023 AES Distinguished Service Award. He was awarded the 2019 and the 2021 Teacher of the Year of the Mayo Clinic Department of Neurology.

Education & Training

Wake Forest University Baptist Medical CenterResidency, Neurology, 1976 - 1980
University of Santo TomasClass of 1974
University of Santo Tomas, College of ScienceBachelor's, Cum Laude, 1967 - 1970

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Certifications & Licensure

FL State Medical License 2026 - Present
MN State Medical License 1991 - 2027
WI State Medical License 1985 - 2027
AZ State Medical License 2003 - 2018
ND State Medical License 2012 - 2018
GA State Medical License 1978 - 1987
American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology Neurology
American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology Epilepsy

Awards, Honors, & Recognition

CMS Meaningful Use Stage 2 Certification Mayo Clinic Incorporate Lab Results, Mayo Clinic, 2014-2017
CMS Meaningful Use Stage 2 Certification Mayo Clinic Electronic Notes, Mayo Clinic, 2014-2017
CMS Meaningful Use Stage 1 Certification Centricity Enterprise (CE), GE Healthcare, 2014-2017

Publications & Presentations

PubMed

Pseudobulbar affect or dacrystic seizures? Clarifying the confusion.
Gloria Ortiz-Guerrero, Elson So, Jeffrey W Britton
Epileptic Disorders. 2025-10-01
10 citations
American Clinical Neurophysiology Society Technical Standards for Electrical Stimulation With Intracranial Electrodes for Functional Brain Mapping and Seizure Induction.
Ravindra Arya, Fiona M Baumer, Patrick Chauvel, Birgit Frauscher, Prasanna Jayakar
Journal of Clinical Neurophysiology. 2025-03-01
4 citations
Sudden Cardiac Death or Ventricular Arrythmia in Patients Taking Levetiracetam or Oxcarbazepine.
Madeline R Cross, Samuel T Savitz, Lindsey R Sangaralingham, Elson L So, Michael J Ackerman
Neurology. 2024-05-14

Journal Articles

Epilepsy Surgery in MRI-negative Epilepsies
So EL, Lee RW, Curr Opin Neurol, 1/1/2014
American Clinical Neurophysiology Society's Standardized Critical Care EEG Terminology: 2012 version
Hirsch LJ, LaRoche SM, Gaspard N, Gerard E, Svoronos A, Herman ST, Mani R, Arif H, Jette N, Minazad Y, Kerrigan JF, Vespa P, Hantus S, Claassen J, Young GB, So E, Kapl..., J Clinical Neurophysiology, 1/1/2012
Commentary on Letter to the Editor Entitled "Interictal Epileptiform Discharges and Epilepsy Prediction"
So EL, J Clin Neurophysiol, 1/10/2011

Books/Book Chapters

Current Practice of Clinical Electroencephalography
Chapter: EEG in Adult Epilepsy
Page 315 - 337Koubeissi MZ, So ELEditors: Ebersole JS; Husain AM; Nordli DR Jr.Wolters Kluwer Health, PhiladelphiaEdition Four,2014
Neuroimaging in Epilepsy
Chapter: SPECT Scanning for Epileptic Seizures
Page 210 - 215Hogan RE, So EL, O'Brien TJEditors: Chugani HT.Oxford University Press, Oxford; New York2011
Adult Epilepsy
Chapter: Video-EEG Monitoring Data
Page 67 - 81So EL2011

Abstracts/Posters

Population Statistics-Based SPECT Analysis in Nonlesional Extratemporal Lobe Epilepsy
Sulc V, Stykel S, Hanson DP, Brinkmann BH, Jones DT, Holmes DR, Robb R, Senjem ML, Larson AG, Mullan BP, Horinek D, Cascino GD, Britton J, Wong-Kisiel L, So EL, Worrel..., 65th Annual Meeting of the American Academy of Neurology, San Diego, CA, 3/20/2013
Generalized Tonic Clonic Seizures Are Associated with Cerebral Tissue Hypoxemia
Moseley BD, Britton JW, Nelson C, Lee RW, So E, 65th Annual Meeting of the American Academy of Neurology, San Diego, CA, 3/19/2013
Scalp Electroencephalography and Intraoperative Electrocorticography and Temporal Lobe Epilepsy Surgical Outcomes in Patients with Normal MRI
Burkholder D, Sulc V, Hoffman E, Cascino G, Britton J, So E, Marsh WR, Van Gompel J, Watson R, Worrell G, Neurology, 2/14/2013

Lectures

SUDEP: Imperative for Research and Counseling
Department of Neurology, University of Wisconsin, Madison Madison, Wisconsin, 2012; Epilepsy Center, - 11/1/2013
The Role of EEG in the Study of New Onset Epilepsy Versus Long-standing Epilepsy
Quito, Ecuador - 11/1/2012
Video-EEG Monitoring in Extratemporal Epilepsy
Quito, Ecuador - 11/1/2012

Other

Broadband Intracranial EEG Recordings with Multiscale Hybrid Depth and Subdural Electrodes in Human Epileptogenic Brain
Worrell GA, Stead M, Marsh R, Meyer F, Cascino G, So E, Litt B, American Epilepsy Society & Canadian League Against Epilepsy Annual Meeting
12/1/2006
Serious Toxicity of a New Antiepileptic Drug: What You Should Know About Felbamate
So EL, Prime Practice
1/1/1994
Repeat Surgeries
Salanova V, So EL, International Leagues Against Epilepsy (ILAE), On-line textbook