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Overview
Despite the availability of more than two dozen anti-seizure medications, there remains a sizable number of patients (between 33% and 54%) who continue to suffer from recurrent seizures. Epilepsy surgery is an available and proven treatment modality for focal epilepsies, but a significant number of patients with multifocal epilepsy or generalized epilepsy are not good surgical candidates. In addition, patients with epilepsy often have difficult to address psychosocial determinants of health such as stress, loss of employment, divorce and psychiatric co- morbidities, including depression, anxiety, PTSD, and psychosis. Therefore, there is an acute need for non-pharmacologic/non- surgical interventions that complement the available traditional treatments for patients with various types of epilepsy.
The impact of lifestyle modifications on people with epilepsy is a growing field with various interventions that have shown potential for enhanced care. This inter-disciplinary program will critically review and discuss the current state of nonpharmacologic lifestyle approaches in epilepsy and its co-morbidities by local, national and international experts. In addition, speakers will share best practices learned from treatment of other medical conditions.
Target Audience
This educational activity is intended for physicians, psychologists, nurse practitioners, physician assistants, therapists, social workers, scientists, researchers, professors, pharmacists, residents, fellows and other healthcare providers who interact with patients with epilepsy.
Learning Objectives
- Discuss the benefits and pitfalls of nonpharmacologic lifestyle interventions in select medical conditions
- Define the current state of the use of nonpharmacologic lifestyle interventions in epilepsy and its co- morbidities
- Identify the current knowledge gaps of nonpharmacologic lifestyle interventions in epilepsy and its co- morbidities
- Discuss the challenges and opportunities for the use of nonpharmacologic lifestyle interventions in epilepsy and its co- morbidities
- Discuss the current knowledge about the mechanisms of these nonpharmacologic interventions
- Discuss opportunities for future research in genetic and molecular mechanisms and imaging