The congress programme comprises plenary lectures, interactive sessions, specialty sessions and a comprehensive teaching programme. Details of sessions may be found in the sections below. View a pdf of the IEC 2021 programme with sessions, dates and times by clicking the button. [/vc_column_text] Click on the image to view the programme schedule in pdf. Times in the programme are CEST. Note: Please be aware that the programme is subject to change.[/vc_column_text] Co-chairs: Samuel Wiebe (Canada) & Martin Brodie (Scotland) Choosing wisely – needs and reality in patient care Co-chairs: Mary Secco (Canada) & Kette Valente (Brazil) Cutting edge diagnostic methods in epilepsy: seizure onset zone Co-chairs: Fabrice Bartolomei (France) & Hui Ming Khoo (Japan) Epilepsy genetics: a global perspective Co-chairs: Holger Lerche (Germany) & Iscia Lopes-Cendes (Brazil) Epilepsy surgery 2021 – state-of-the-art Co-chairs: Philippe Ryvlin (Switzerland) & Lara Jehi (USA) [/vc_column_text][/vc_tta_section][vc_tta_section title=”PARALLEL SESSIONS” tab_id=”parallel-sessions”][vc_column_text]Is epilepsy a progressive neurodegenerative disease? Co-chairs: Marian Galovic (Switzerland) & Mark Keezer (Canada) Breakthroughs in focal cortical dysplasia: the ILAE classification update 2021 Co-chairs: Imad Najm (USA) & Cristina Ruedell Reschke (Ireland) Central regulation of breathing and arousal systems. An altered interplay in patients at risk of SUDEP? Co-chairs: Sylvain Rheims (France) & Lisa Bateman (USA) What’s new in epilepsy syndromes? Co-chairs: Elaine Wirrell (USA) & Paolo Tinuper (Italy) The microbiota gut-brain axis and epilepsy: where are we now? Co-chairs: Astrid Nehlig (France) & Cian McCafferty (Ireland) The rollercoaster of epilepsy genetics – what you need to know Co-chairs: Caroline Neuray (United Kingdom) & Karl Martin Klein (Canada) What is epileptogenicity? Co-chairs: Akio Ikeda (Japan) & Luisa Rocha (Mexico) Can we predict the efficacy of epilepsy therapy in individual patients? Co-chairs: Milan Brázdil (Czech Republic) & Colin Josephson (Canada) The new era of implantable EEG Co-chairs: Troels Wesenberg Kjær (Denmark) & Margitta Seeck (Switzerland) MRI-negative epilepsy: myth or reality with current techniques? Co-chairs: Irene Wang (USA) & Aileen McGonigal (France) Psychiatric issues in paediatric epilepsy Co-chairs: Kette Valente (Brazil) & Sharon Whiting (Canada) Opportunities and challenges in the delivery of care Co-chairs: William Theodore (USA) & Amza Ali (Jamaica) Genetics, drug discovery and stigma in the ILAE years Co-chairs: Ingrid Scheffer (Australia) & Peter Wolf (Denmark) & Simon Shorvon (United Kingdom) Post traumatic epilepsy Co-chairs: Pablo Casillas-Espinosa (Australia) & Aristea Galanopoulou (USA) Multifaceted aspects of sleep and epilepsy Co-chairs: Birgit Frauscher (Canada) & Sofia Eriksson (United Kingdom) Looking into the causes of psychogenic nonepileptic seizures: the contribution of imaging studies Co-chairs: Markus Reuber (United Kingdom) & Kette Valente (Brazil) Towards precision medicine in cortical malformations Co-chairs: Jean-Bernard Manent (France) & Iscia Lopes-Cendes (Brazil) Management of autoimmune epilepsy in the era of biomarkers Co-chairs: Divyanshu Dubey (USA) & Sarosh Irani (United Kingdom) Post-stroke epilepsy – Predict! Protect. Prevent? Co-chairs: Alla Guekht (Russian Federation) & Marian Galovic (Switzerland) Sex matters – reproductive health in epilepsy Co-chair: Oliver Henning (Norway) & Katia Lin (Brazil) Suicide and seizures – management in routine clinical care Co-chairs: Rosa Michaelis (Germany) & Natela Okujava (Georgia) Status epilepticus – new concepts and novel therapies (part 1) Chair: Eugen Trinka (Austria) Status epilepticus – new concepts and novel therapies (part 2) Chair: Eugen Trinka (Austria) Neonatal update Co-chairs: Ronit Pressler (United Kingdom) & Perrine Plouin (France) Neurobiology Symposium: Neurobiology of SARS-CoV-2 / COVID-19 and relevance to epilepsy Chair: Aristea Galanopoulou (USA) Gene therapy for pharmacoresistant epilepsy – principles, opportunities, and pitfalls Co-chairs: Simona Balestrini (United Kingdom) & Premysl Jiruska (Czech Republic) Refractory early-life seizures: taking evidence-based insights from basic science into the hands of clinicians Co-chairs: Shilpa Kadam (USA) & Ronit Pressler (United Kingdom) Epigenetics and epilepsy collide: unravelling mechanisms, treatments and diagnostics Chair: David Henshall (Ireland) Workshop: Clinical Practice Guideline (CPG) development and implementation Co-chairs: Nathalie Jette (USA) & Francesco Brigo (Italy) [/vc_column_text][/vc_tta_section][vc_tta_section title=”SPECIAL SESSIONS” tab_id=”special-sessions”][vc_column_text]ILAE-Fred Andermann Lecture in Clinical Epileptology Co-chairs: Samuel Wiebe (Canada) & J Helen Cross (United Kingdom) [/vc_column_text][/vc_tta_section][vc_tta_section title=”DEBATES & CONTROVERSIES” tab_id=”debates-controversies”][vc_column_text]Debate: Do we need to record seizures to know where they are coming from? Moderator: Maeike Zijlmans (Netherlands) Controversies in epilepsy: are ASMs disease-modifying or not? Chair: Sanaz Ahmadi Karvigh (Iran) Controversies in epilepsy: is it autoimmune encephalitis with seizures or is it autoimmune epilepsy? Chair: Christian Bien (Germany) [/vc_column_text][/vc_tta_section][vc_tta_section title=”CASE-BASED DISCUSSIONS” tab_id=”case-based-discussions”][vc_column_text]Both sides of the coin: considering behavioural disorders when managing epilepsy and vice versa Moderators: Kette Valente (Brazil), Stéphane Auvin (France), Michael Kerr (United Kingdom) Surgical evaluation Chair: Laura Tassi (Italy) Using antiseizure medicines optimally. YES or no? Co-chairs: Martin Brodie (Scotland) & Emilio Perucca (Italy) [/vc_column_text][/vc_tta_section][vc_tta_section title=”TEACHING COURSES & SESSIONS” tab_id=”teaching-programme”][vc_column_text]Full-Day Teaching Course: Neuroimaging in epilepsy – what the clinician should know Chair: Paolo Federico (Canada) Half-Day Teaching Course: EEG in diagnosing patients with epilepsy (EEG starter) Co-chairs: Sándor Beniczky (Denmark) & Donald Schomer (USA) Half-Day Teaching Course: Epilepsy diagnosis Co-chairs: Peter Wolf (Denmark) & Walter van Emde Boas (Netherlands) Half-Day Teaching Course: Pharmacological treatment: starter course Co-chairs: Emilio Perucca (Italy) & Torbjörn Tomson (Sweden) Half-Day Teaching Course: Status epilepticus Chair: Eugen Trinka (Austria) Teaching Course: EEG source imaging virtual workshop Teaching Session: Counselling patients with epilepsy, caregivers and relatives Teaching Session: Developmental and epileptic encephalopathies Teaching Session: VIREPA courses: EEG (basic and advanced) Teaching Session: VIREPA courses: Paediatric EEG Teaching Session: Video session: is this epilepsy or not? Teaching Session: Video session: focal seizures Teaching Session: Video session: generalised seizures [/vc_column_text][/vc_tta_section][vc_tta_section title=”AWARD SYMPOSIA” tab_id=”award-symposia”][vc_column_text]Award Symposium: Michael Prize Chair: Bettina Schmitz (Germany) Award Symposium: ‘Epilepsia’ Prize – Basic Science Co-chairs: Astrid Nehlig (France) & Michael Sperling (USA) Award Symposium: ‘Epilepsia’ Prize – Clinical Science Co-chairs: Astrid Nehlig (France) & Michael Sperling (USA) Award Symposium: ‘Epilepsia Open’ Prize – Basic Science Chair: Aristea Galanopoulou (USA) Award Symposium: ‘Epilepsia Open’ Prize – Clinical Science Chair: Aristea Galanopoulou (USA) Award Symposium: ‘Epileptic Disorders’ Educational Prize Chair: Sándor Beniczky (Denmark) [/vc_column_text][/vc_tta_section][vc_tta_section title=”ILAE NEUROSURGERY COMMISSION: PLANNING FOR SUCCESS IN EPILEPSY SURGERY” tab_id=”epilepsy-surgery”][vc_column_text]The ILAE Commission on Surgical Therapies is organising a 1-day symposium on Wednesday 1 September, between 09.30 and 16.30 UTC+1. The overall theme will be “Planning for success in epilepsy surgery”. Major advances have occurred over the past decade in the context of both pre-surgical evaluations and surgical techniques. On the diagnostic end, structural and functional imaging have evolved to allow exponential improvements in the localization of drug-resistant focal epilepsy. On the therapeutic end, invasive EEG modalities such as stereo EEG have become more accessible, increasing the pool of patients who could undergo these complex procedures. Minimally invasive surgical options such as Laser Interstitial Thermal Therapy and focused ultrasound are offering additional treatment options beyond resective epilepsy surgery. In conjunction with this evolving diagnostic and procedural landscape, there is a growing appreciation of the need to expand our definition of success in epilepsy surgery beyond a reductionist approach limited to complete seizure freedom. Favourable neuropsychological outcomes, improved overall quality of life, and significant seizure palliation, are all major patient goals that need to be considered in surgical planning. In this symposium, we will review highlights of major advancements in both diagnostic and surgical techniques, and discuss more comprehensive approaches to outcomes assessment. This goal will be accomplished through a series of didactic lectures, interspersed with neurosurgical training videos, and discussions of controversial subjects. Opportunities for questions and answers sessions will be available. The following ILAE Educational Curriculum Competencies will be addressed: 4.3: Demonstrate working knowledge of advanced techniques for presurgical evaluation. 4.5: Demonstrate ability to integrate information from multi-modal work-up and estimates risks and benefits of surgical therapy. Introduction Session 1: Advances in imaging Session 2: Advances in surgical techniques Session 3: Balancing seizure freedom with “everything else” Session 4: Controversial topics and future direction Closing remarks [/vc_column_text][/vc_tta_section][vc_tta_section title=”ILAE NEUROBIOLOGY COMMISSION: KINDLING EPILEPTOGENESIS: BEGINNINGS AND FUTURE” tab_id=”neurobiology”][vc_column_text]Kindling epileptogenesis: beginnings and future Epilepsy research has achieved remarkable progress through the years, evolving in concepts, models, techniques and approaches. While the younger generation is familiar with these tools and concepts, they are less familiar with the pioneers who conducted these studies or the history behind these ground-breaking discoveries that pushed the field forward. The overall goal of this session is to merge history and future and discuss how past experiences may help shape and inform the future of epilepsy research but also serve as guidance for the younger investigator as they strive to develop their research careers. The session will include brief video recordings of research neuroscience pioneers, many of whom played a critical role in forming the neurobiology research strategies and initiatives of the ILAE across the years, discussing their early scientific discoveries in the context of the times these were developed. Pre-recorded interviews with Gyorgy Buzsaki, Jerome (Pete) Engel Jr, Claude Wasterlain, Solomon (Nico) Moshé, Giuliano Avanzini, Astrid Nehlig and Anamaria Vezzani will be presented, revisiting some of the old breakthrough studies on brain rhythms, kindling experiments, networks, systems epilepsy and big data analyses. In parallel, a panel of younger scientists will present brief presentations of their current research followed by discussion. The session is expected to relate to a wider audience of neuroscientists and epileptologists at various career stages and will provide an opportunity to discuss the future of epilepsy research under the light of past and current achievements. Co-chairs: Aristea Galanopoulou (USA) & David Henshall (Ireland) [/vc_column_text][/vc_tta_section][vc_tta_section title=”IBE DAY” tab_id=”ibe-day”][vc_column_text]IBE Day at the 34th International Epilepsy Congress The IBE Day is taking place on Wednesday 1 September as part of the IEC. It consists of 3 two-hour virtual sessions on topical issues that affect the day-to-day lives of people living with epilepsy. This virtual event will cover topics including making epilepsy a national health priority – intersectoral collaboration, empowering youth to raise their voices and best practices to address the psychosocial impact of epilepsy. Additionally, the IBE International Golden Light Awards will be presented; the IBE Golden Light Awards recognise the contributions of people affected by epilepsy in their community and those who care for them. We hope that the virtual experience allows more people around the globe to participate in the IBE Day. Access to these sessions is free of charge for IBE chapters and their members, but registration is necessary. The programme for the IBE Day may be downloaded here. Making epilepsy a national health priority – intersectoral collaboration Co-chairs: Mary Secco, IBE Secretary General (Canada) & Action Amos, IBE Vice President Africa (Malawi) Empowering youth to raise their voices Co-chairs: Lorraine Lally (Ireland) & Scarlett Paige (Australia), co-chairs of the IBE Youth Team Psychologic treatment and self-management of epilepsy Chair: Gus Baker, IBE Secretary General-elect (United Kingdom) For any general queries on the IBE Day, please contact the Congress Secretariat at iec@epilepsycongress.org.[/vc_column_text][/vc_tta_section][vc_tta_section title=”ILAE YES SESSIONS” tab_id=”ilae-yes-sessions”][vc_column_text]The ILAE Young Epilepsy Section (ILAE YES) will again host the very popular brainstorming sessions and career development sessions. ILAE YES Career Development Session: Effective scientific communication: from securing funding to engaging the public Chair: Pablo Casillas-Espinosa (Australia) ILAE YES Career Development Session: New skill, upskill or re-skill? Transitioning to alternative career paths Chair: Cristina Ruedell Reschke (Ireland) ILAE YES Career Development Session: How To session Chair: Diego Jiménez Jiménez (United Kingdom) ILAE YES Brainstorming Session: NORSE: New Onset Refractory Status Epilepticus Moderator: Ruta Yardi (USA) ILAE YES Brainstorming Session: Choosing a first line antiseizure medication: the SANAD studies in context Moderator: Mirja Steinbrenner (Germany) ILAE YES Brainstorming Session: Real-time EEG analysis and closed-loop of seizures Moderator: Christos Lisgaras (USA) [/vc_column_text][/vc_tta_section][vc_tta_section title=”PLATFORM SESSIONS” tab_id=”platform-sessions”][vc_column_text]Adult epileptology Chair: Fatema Abdulla (Bahrain) 399 Factors influencing the daily evolution of preictal connectivity dynamics in epilepsy – Jakub Kopal (Czech Republic) 430 Cardiac autonomic response to hyperventilation and risk of SUDEP – William Szurhaj (France) 243 Spectral shifts across distributed networks in cortex predict seizure onset – Maryam Hasanzadeh Mofrad (Canada) 468 Juvenile myoclonic epilepsy: Outcome beyond three decades from onset- A hospital based cohort study – Harini Pavuluri (India) Basic sciences Chair: Christina Ruedell Reschke (Ireland) 882 Activity-dependent Gene Therapy for Intractable Epilepsy – Gabriele Lignani (United Kingdom) 260 Non-cell autonomous hyperexcitability underlies focal epileptogenesis mediated by low-level brain somatic mutations in MTOR – Hyunyong Koh (USA) 455 Robust chronic convulsive seizures, high-frequency oscillations, and human seizure onset patterns in an intrahippocampal kainic acid model in mice – Christos Lisgaras (USA) 801 Adenovirus-mediated expression of NaV1.1 ameliorates Dravet syndrome epilepsy in mice – Saja Fadila (Israel) Clinical neurophysiology Chair: Jorge Burneo (Canada) 587 Fully-Automated Spike Detection and Dipole Analysis of Epileptic Magnetoencephalograms Using Deep Learning – Masayuki Hirata (Japan) 627 Seizure-onset EEG patterns in malformations of cortical development: a systematic review – Lubna Shakhatreh (Australia) 695 Surgery-Related Changes in Sleep Spindle Activity of Children with Drug-Resistant Epilepsy – Assia Chericoni (USA) 368 Artificial Intelligence outperforms Quantitative EEG Assessment for Seizure Detection of ICU Patients – Franz Fürbass (Austria) Drug therapy Chair: Sanjeev Thomas (India) 555 Machine learning based prediction model for initial antiseizure medication selection in newly diagnosed epilepsy – Haris Hakeem (Australia) 1204 Comparison of the effects of new anti-seizure drugs (ASDs) on cardiac autonomic control in patients with temporal lobe epilepsy (TLE) – Fedele Dono (Italy) 141 Time to Onset of Cannabidiol Treatment Effect and Resolution of Adverse Events in Tuberous Sclerosis Complex Randomised Controlled Trial (GWPCARE6) – Rocio Sanchez-Carpintero (Spain) 689 Cerliponase alfa for treatment of CLN2 disease in a patient cohort including children <3 years old: Interim results from an ongoing clinical study – Angela Schulz (Germany) Epidemiology Chair: Churl-Su Kwon (USA) 643 Incidence, severity and outcomes of COVID-19 in elderly people with epilepsy in Moscow: case-control study – Flora Rider (Russian Federation) 185 The Global Economic Burden of Epilepsy – Charles Begley (USA) 303 Prenatal exposure to antiseizure medication and intrauterine growth restriction in offspring of women with epilepsy – Julie Dreier (Denmark) 711 Adult-onset epilepsy is defined by phenotypic clusters with unique comorbidities and risks of death – Colin Josephson (Canada) Epilepsy in special groups Chair: Martin Brodie (Scotland) 272 Point-of-care EEG-video in northern Nigeria emergency rooms (ERs) utilizing community healthcare workers (CHWs) trained in EEG technology – Umar Sabo (Nigeria) 421 Using health laws to prioritise epilepsy in resource-restricted settings: an African perspective – Nkandu Nchindila (South Africa) 665 Bridging the Childhood Epilepsy Treatment Gap in Africa (BRIDGE): A Cluster Randomized Clinical Trial of Task-Shifted Epilepsy Care – Aminu Taura (Nigeria) 773 Prenatal exposure to antiseizure medication duotherapy and risk of neurodevelopmental disorders – SCAN–AED: a Nordic nationwide cohort study – Marte Helene Bjork (Norway) Epilepsy surgery Chair: Bertil Rydenhag (Sweden) 190 Combining Intracranial EEG Measures of Brain Connectivity and Excitability to Plan Epilepsy Surgery in Children – Eleonora Tamilia (USA) 650 Prognostic model for withdrawal of anti-seizure medications following epilepsy surgery in adults: a worldwide multicentre study – Carolina Ferreira-Atuesta (United Kingdom) 745 Paediatric epilepsy surgery from 2000 to 2018: have we reached a plateau in seizure freedom rates? – Maria Eriksson (United Kingdom) 444 Comparison of the real-world effectiveness of vertical versus lateral functional hemispherotomy techniques for pediatric drug-resistant epilepsy – Alexander Weil (Canada) Genetics Chair: Katja Kobow (Germany) 515 Everolimus as a precision therapy for drug-resistant epilepsy caused by mutations in the GATOR1 complex genes DEPDC5 and NPLR3 – Patrick B. Moloney (Ireland) 972 Genetic Landscape of Infantile Spasms with Focal Brain Malformations – Matthew Coleman (Australia) 080 Genotype-phenotype correlations in SCN8A-related disorders reveal prognostic and therapeutic implications – Katrine Marie Johannesen (Denmark) 653 Functional assessment of KCNB1 loss- and gain-of-function variants and correlation with electro-clinical phenotypes – Antonella Riva (Italy) Neuroimaging Chair: Anna Elisabetta Vaudano (Italy) 577 Structural covariance network changes in the common epilepsies: a worldwide ENIGMA study – Sara Larivière (Canada) 828 MELD Project: Predictors of lesion location and postsurgical seizure freedom in focal cortical dysplasia (FCD) – Sophie Adler (United Kingdom) 178 Focal hypertrophy in mesial temporal lobe epilepsy – Richard Zubal (Switzerland) 237 Extent of resection and optimal postsurgical memory and seizure outcome in temporal lobe epilepsy: Voxel-wise and numerical analysis – Daichi Sone (United Kingdom) Neuropsychology Chair: Mary Lou Smith (Canada) 194 Impoverished future thinking in TLE: a novel cognitive deficit in epilepsy and its implications for surgical counselling – Genevieve Rayner (Australia) 212 Childhood Trauma Profiles in Epilepsy and Psychogenic Nonepileptic Seizures – Tianren Yang (Australia) 502 Randomized Controlled Trial on Neuropsychological Rehabilitation for Patients with Drug Refractory Epilepsy: Challenges, Adaptations & Findings – Shivani Sharma (India) Paediatric epileptology 1 Chair: Elissa Yozawitz (USA) 1163 Telemedicine, health disparities and seizure control in pediatric epilepsy during the COVID-19 pandemic – Michael Kaufman (USA) 432 The Role of Neuropeptides in Electrical Status Epilepticus During Slow Sleep – Miray Atacan Yaşgüçlükal (Turkey) 467 Post-Operative Outcomes of Epilepsy Surgery in Drug Refractory Pediatric Epilepsy From Western India – Mayur Thakkar (India) 611 Severe complications of influenza infection in SCN1A-Dravet syndrome – Katherine Howell (Australia) Paediatric epileptology 2 Chair: Pauline Samia (Kenya) 999 Comparison of Efficacy of Low Glycemic Index Therapy and Modified Atkins Diet in children with DRE: A Randomized Non-inferiority Trial – Vaishakh Anand (India) 1140 Felbamate role in intractable pediatric epilepsy- should we keep on using it as the last resort? – Shira Rabinowicz (Israel) 836 The natural history of SCN8A epilepsy and related diseases – Elena Gardella (Denmark) Social issues/nursing & Pandemic response Chair: Jacob Mugumbate (Zimbabwe) 231 The Ottawa Epilepsy Program: region-wide coordinated and community integrated care in the 21st century – Tadeu Fantaneanu (Canada) 091 Employment in people with epilepsy: A cross sectional study – M. H. Holy Chan (Hong Kong) 496 COVID-19 pandemic in Istanbul: Seizure Frequency and Psychosocial Outcomes in Patients with Epilepsy – Kubra Yeni (Turkey) 943 Multi-centre development of a secure, cloud based, patient to clinician, neurology video transfer, classification and management system – Sameer Zuberi (United Kingdom) Status epilepticus Chair: Eugen Trinka (Austria) 700 Status epilepticus outcome in patients with and without MRI abnormalities – Pilar Bosque Varela (Austria) 539 Temporal Trends in Hospital Admissions and Incidence of Status Epilepticus and Epilepsy in England 2003- 2018 – Aidan Neligan (United Kingdom) 242 The 2HELPS2B scale is useful to predict the prognosis and development of epilepsy in encephalopathic patients with suspected status epilepticus – Jordi Ciurans Molist (Spain) 968 Metformin protects rats against Status Epilepticus associated Cognitive dysfunction by ameliorating neuroinflammation and neuronal death – Sree Lalitha Bojja (India) Late breaking abstracts Chair: Mirja Steinbrenner (Germany) 1318 Attention and executive deficits differentiate autoimmune TLE caused by limbic encephalitis from TLE of non-autoimmune etiologies – Nadine Conradi (Germany) 1294 Short-term heart rate variability predicts sudden unexpected death in epilepsy – Shobi Sivathamboo (Australia) 1334 Epileptogenic network definition through game theory and connectivity dynamics – Karla Ivankovic (Spain)[/vc_column_text][/vc_tta_section][vc_tta_section title=”INTERACTIVE SESSIONS” tab_id=”interactive-sessions”][vc_column_text]An international classification of cognitive disorders in epilepsy: the IC CoDE This workshop will introduce the International Classification of Cognitive Disorders in Epilepsy (the IC CoDE) project to the wider epilepsy community. This is a project in development and feedback is required from clinicians and researchers to ensure it is on the right track, to secure ‘buy in’ once the classification system is launched. Brief (7 minute) presentations from the speakers will present the background and rationale for the project and progress to date. Small discussion groups, each moderated by a YES member from different regions of the world, will be used to create challenges to the model and discuss difficulties in implementing a single diagnostic system across epilepsy syndromes, across international borders and across clinical and research settings. The outcomes of these discussions will then be synthesised by the moderators who will provide feedback in a plenary session at the end of workshop. It is intended to write up the proceedings of the workshop and the outcomes of the discussion will inform the development of the classification. Interested participants in the workshop will all be sent this summary and will be invited to join the wider consultation group for the project as it moves into its final stage of development. Chair: Sallie Baxendale (United Kingdom) Case studies in pregnancy and epilepsy Specific Aims: Learning Objectives: Chair: Kimford Meador (USA) Changing driving policies – an interactive session In this session, we will address key elements that influence epilepsy related driving policies. First we will discuss risk assessment and how it influences driving recommendations. Second, we will discuss how to change driving policies – i.e. the practical approach to achieving this important goal. Then we will discuss next steps when it comes to driving and epilepsy. Finally we will make concluding remarks. By the end of the session, participants will be familiar with elements that influence driving policy including driving risk and approaches to successfully working with regional/national stakeholders to change driving policies. Chair: Nathalie Jette (Canada) Connectomics in epilepsy This highly interactive session will be divided into four 15-minute presentations. The first presentation will be a basic introduction to connectomics, which will serve as a foundation for the subsequent presentations. The second presentation will focus on basic evidence of network reorganization in focal epilepsy and how it can evolve over time and potentially influence presurgical workup of persons with drug resistant epilepsy. The third presentation will review how connectivity can be used to probe cognitive networks and dysfunction in epilepsy. Lastly, an interactive wrap up and Q&A session will be held. Aims: Connectomics 101: Network reorganization and treatment outcomes in focal epilepsy: Cognition in epilepsy: towards a network perspective: Co-chairs: Paolo Federico (Canada) & Boris Bernhardt (Canada) Epilepsy: from big data to better data Aims Learning objectives Chair: Samden Lhatoo (USA) Epilepsy and intellectual disability – best papers The session will feature major advances in different fields of epileptology like diagnostics, drug therapy, surgery, and many more, tailored to the associations between epilepsy and ID. This often neglected field is now in the focus of science because first steps of personalized medicine in epileptology have their origin here. The audience will learn about recent progress for persons with ID and in addition to this about general principals and achievements for epileptology as a whole. Chair: Christian Brandt (Germany) Facilitating research in resource poor settings: the Fogarty Program This session will disseminate information about research funding opportunities and mentoring. There will be discussion about how successful applicants went about building the projects, with information about requirements and the process. Co-chairs: Edward Bertram (USA) & Angelina Kakooza-Mwesige (Uganda) Is this a spike? Or not? Operational criteria for epileptiform EEG discharges Operational criteria for defining and identifying interictal epileptiform discharges have been recently proposed and validated in several studies. The learning objective of this interactive session is to teach the audience these criteria. At the end of the session, the participants will be able to apply these criteria in their clinical practice. Overreading of EEG is the most common cause of misdiagnosing epilepsy, therefore this topic is important to improve the care of patients with seizures, paroxysmal events and suspected epilepsy. Chair: Sándor Beniczky (Denmark) Key aspects of transitioning your patients from paediatric to adult care Chair: Danielle Andrade (Canada) Neurostimulation and minimally invasive techniques In this session, we will explore advanced neurostimulation strategies for drug resistant epilepsy and future directions. Co-chairs: Dario Englot (USA) & Bertil Rydenhag (Sweden) New neonatal seizure classification: interactive quiz In 2021, a modification of the ILAE classification of seizures and the epilepsies was suggested for seizures in the neonate. The new framework is based on the ILAE classification for seizures and epilepsies, but takes into account specific aspects of seizures in the neonate. Since neonatal seizures may be electrographic-only, it emphasizes the role of electroencephalography in the diagnosis. The suggested classification aims to guide the clinician with regards to diagnosis, underlying etiology, and treatment. This session aims to highlight challenges regarding diagnosis and classification of neonatal seizures from both the neonatologist’s and the epileptologist’s perspective. Examples of seizures in neonates will be presented and discussed, a quiz will allow the audience to train skills in using the classification, and gain more competence in applying it in clinical practice and research Chair: Hans Hartmann (Germany) Psychotherapy for psychogenic nonepileptic seizures after the CODES trial: where next? The randomised controlled CODES study comparing Cognitive Behavioural Therapy for Dissociative (non-Epileptic) Seizures and standardised medical care with standardised medical care alone involved a total of 368 patients and set new research quality standards in the field of Psychogenic Nonepileptic Seizures (PNES). While patients in the CBT arm did better than those in the control arm in terms of the pre-defined primary outcome (seizure frequency) and in 13 secondary outcomes, the between group differences were only significant in 8 secondary outcome measures. While providing some support for the effectiveness of psychological treatment for PNES, the outcome of the CODES trial therefore raises a number of questions for the future of PNES research and service provision. In this session, members of the ILAE PNES Task Force will discuss some of these questions in a series of five minute presentations intended to engage the audience in an interactive debate about the future of psychological treatment (research) for patients with PNES. By the end of the session participants should have a better understanding of the difficulties PNES psychotherapy (research) has to overcome and some ideas how to do this. Chair: Markus Reuber (United Kingdom) Self-management in epilepsy: time to incorporate it into your practice Epilepsy self management extends beyond the clinic into the patients’ home and community and aims to increase patients’ skills and confidence in monitoring symptoms, problem-solving, decision-making, goal setting, communication, and adopting healthful behaviours to improve health and quality of life (Helmers et al., 2016). Learning objectives: Chair: Mary Secco (Canada) The ketogenic diet: highlights for the centennial following its birth To provide latest updates on the ketogenic diet and discuss a possible collaboration. Four speakers will share cases and talk about their topics. Each talk will be followed by an interactive live polling and discussion on topics related to the cases. Co-chairs: Heung Dong Kim (Korea, Republic of) & Jong Rho (USA) Toward an understanding of drug resistance in epilepsy Drug resistant epilepsy is often cited as one of the critical issues that reduces the quality of life in patients who are afflicted by incompletely controlled seizures. However, there has been very little research specifically addressing the cause(s) of drug resistance. What work has been done has been directed at overcoming one or another hypothesized mechanism. Failure of an intervention to overcome drug resistance has rarely, if ever, addressed the question whether failure was because it was the wrong hypothesis or whether the intervention did not have the desired effect, even if the theorized mechanism was correct. Progress requires a specific focus on the potential causes so that they can be directly addressed experimentally and clinically. In this interactive session we will open the conversation about the recognized patterns of drug resistance and some of the potential contributing mechanisms. The goal of this conversation is to begin a focus in our clinical and basic science community on drug resistance to identify the causes and how they might be overcome. The session will be organized by a working group of the ILAE/AES Joint Translational Task Force (TASK1) on “models of drug resistance”. It will be initiated with brief overviews of the potential patterns of drug resistance in epilepsy across the lifespan, and some of the contributing mechanisms followed by an open discussion with the participants. There will be two chairs and a panel of discussants. The discussants will participate in guiding the discussion by concisely framing the background or highlighting areas of debate and by posing questions challenging current concepts to the participants. Co-chairs: Heidrun Potschka (Germany) & Solomon Moshé (USA) Treatment of young children with epilepsy : OFF label use ON the table The Medical Task Force of the ILAE Pediatric Commission wants to highlight the need for more clinical trials and better regulatory approval policies for young children with epilepsy. Many drugs used in clinical practice are prescribed off-label. We conducted an international survey to illustrate this very concretely: 6 typical clinical scenarios were presented and first and second line treatment was asked for. Scenarios included cases on neonatal epilepsy, West syndrome, tuberous sclerosis, Dravet syndrome, non lesional focal epilepsy. The survey was completed by >600 epileptologists worldwide. In this interactive session, we will present the results of the survey and discuss the need for future trials. We will also address which steps are necessary to change the frequent off-label use of anti-seizure medications in young children. After a short introductory lecture on the development of new anti-seizure drugs in young children, participants will be asked to debate on the results of each of the 6 scenarios and give ideas about future steps in research and policy making. Learning objectives Chair: Lieven Lagae (Belgium) [/vc_column_text][/vc_tta_section][/vc_tta_accordion] PROGRAMME SCHEDULE
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