Latest Conference Coverage

Jessica Fesler, MD: Experiences With Telemedicine In Epilepsy

The staff epileptologist at Cleveland Clinic’s Epilepsy Center spoke to her experience using telemedicine to manage patients with epilepsy and some of the unexpected perspectives it offers.

Shaun Hussain, MD, MS: Risk of Infantile Spasms in Siblings

The director of Infantile Spasms Program at UCLA Mattel Children’s Hospital detailed his personal experience counseling parents whose first child has infantile spasms.

Jacqueline A. French, MD: Cenobamate's Future Impact in Seizure Control

The professor of neurology at NYU Langone discussed cenobamate’s potential as a treatment option for patients who have uncontrolled seizures, as well as its ability to bring a high number of patients toward complete seizure freedom.

James Wheless, MD: Perampanel Shows Sustained Real-World Efficacy

The professor and chief of pediatric neurology, and director of the comprehensive epilepsy program and neuroscience institute at Le Bonheur Children’s Hospital, detailed his experience with patients treated with perampanel.

Sumeet Vadera, MD: Advances in Epilepsy Surgery

The director of epilepsy surgery and associate professor of neurosurgery at UC Irvine spoke to the advances that have been made in epilepsy surgery and in noninvasive or minimally invasive techniques, as well as the impact they’ve had on outcomes.

Ian Miller, MD: Adapting AAV Gene Therapy for SCN1A-Positive Epilepsy

The medical director of the Comprehensive Epilepsy Clinic at Nicklaus Children’s Hospital discusses his early stage gene therapy trial for Dravet syndrome.

Aimee W. Smith, PhD: Caring for Pediatric Patients With Epilepsy

The assistant professor of psychology at East Carolina discussed how to improve adherence in young adults and children with epilepsy, and how physicians can go about checking quality of life in patients.

Aimee W. Smith, PhD: Improving Adherence In Epilepsy

The assistant professor of psychology at East Carolina University spoke to the challenges of overcoming adherence issues in patients with epilepsy, for whom it is so vital.

Joseph Sullivan, MD: The Benefits of Fenfluramine Treatment in Dravet Syndrome

The professor of neurology and pediatrics and director of the Pediatric Epilepsy Center at the University of California, San Francisco, discussed his personal experience with fenfluramine and the advantages that the drug may present when treating patients with Dravet syndrome.

Diazepam Buccal Film Comparable to Rectal Gel With Good Safety, Tolerability Profile

Full results from the single-dose crossover study requested by the FDA were reported at AES 2019, along with multi-dose safety and efficacy data.

Post-Dose Somnolence With Intranasal Midazolam Not Common, Study Finds

Patients were more affected by seizure cluster control and need for additional midazolam dosing than post-dose somnolence.

Early Treatment With Responsive Neurostimulation Linked to Improved Quality of Life and Mood

Patients treated with NeuroPace’s Responsive Neurostimulation system within 20 years of epilepsy onset were observed to have significantly better outcomes related to several aspects of quality of life and mood compared to those treated later.

Elizabeth Thiele, MD, PhD: CBD Shows Low-Dose Efficacy and Safety in TSC

The director of pediatric epilepsy and the Herscot Center for Tuberous Sclerosis Complex at Massachusetts General Hospital, and professor of neurology at Harvard Medical School spoke to the safety outcomes from GWPCARE6 and CBD’s low-dose efficacy.

Infantile Spasm-Associated Hypsarrhythmia May Play Role in Autism Risk

Study findings suggest that the presence of hypsarrhythmia—abnormal, chaotic brainwave patterns—may play a role in the risk of autism spectrum disorder in patients with a history of infantile spasms.

Ian Miller, MD: Exploring the Advantages of Intranasal Diazepam

The medical director of the Comprehensive Epilepsy Clinic at Nicklaus Children’s Hospital discussed the advantages of intranasal diazepam over traditional midazolam and rectal diazepam.

CBD Improves Non-Seizure Outcomes in Dravet and Lennox-Gastaut Syndromes

Data suggests that treatment with cannabidiol is associated with other benefits besides a decrease in seizure frequency.

Aimee W. Smith, PhD: Addressing Quality of Life In Epilepsy

The assistant professor of psychology at East Carolina University offered insight about the resources are available to physicians and providers and what techniques can be useful to help patients have a better quality of life in light of refractory and uncontrolled seizures.

Cenobamate Safe, Effective Over Long-Term Treatment

Adjunctive cenobamate demonstrated a good tolerability and safety profile, as well as sustained efficacy, in patients with uncontrolled focal seizures.

Perampanel Proves Positive in Real-World Use in Adolescents With Epilepsy

In a PROVE study subgroup of adolescent patients exposed to perampanel over a 2-year period, the Eisai product proved to be well-tolerated and efficacious, with good retention rates.

Sumeet Vadera, MD: The Consequences of Forgoing Epilepsy Surgery

The director of epilepsy surgery and associate professor of neurosurgery at UC Irvine spoke about the consequences of patients choosing to forgo beneficial surgery and the importance of communication between surgeon and epileptologist.

NeuroPace RNS System Shows Continued Success in Interim Post-Approval Results

Interim analysis of a 5-year, post-approval study of the NeuroPace Responsive Neurostimulation system support prior findings that the device is safe and effective in reducing medically intractable focal seizures in adults.

Treatment With Fenfluramine Linked to Improved Executive Function in Dravet Syndrome

Fenfluramine oral solution is currently being evaluated by the FDA for the treatment of seizures associated with Dravet syndrome.

Telemedicine Feasible For Large-Scale Use in Epilepsy

A single-center study of more than 3600 virtual visits displayed a high level of satisfaction from patients regarding their experience with telemedicine and their providers, suggesting the practice may be ready for large-scale use.

Seizure Freedom Persists With Intranasal Midazolam Regardless of Concomitant AEDs

Patients treated with intranasal midazolam who were on enzyme-inducing AEDs experienced numerically lower treatment-emergent adverse events.

Sumeet Vadera, MD: Barriers to Getting Patients to Epilepsy Surgery

The director of epilepsy surgery and associate professor of neurosurgery at UC Irvine discussed the challenges he has encountered in getting patients with epilepsy to undergo beneficial procedures, often due to misinformation.

Elizabeth Thiele, MD, PhD: GWPCARE6 Trial of CBD in Tuberous Sclerosis Complex

The director of pediatric epilepsy and the Herscot Center for Tuberous Sclerosis Complex at Massachusetts General Hospital, and professor of neurology at Harvard Medical School discussed the findings of the GWPCARE6 trial of cannabidiol.

American Epilepsy Society Honors Members for Outstanding Contributions

The American Epilepsy Society recognized several members from its clinical and research communities for their outstanding contributions to the field of epilepsy.

Breastfeeding Rates Are Lower Among Women With Epilepsy

Despite evidence of the benefits and safety of breastfeeding in women with epilepsy, 2 studies suggest this population breastfeeds significantly less often than women without epilepsy, due to fears of drug exposure or recommendations against the practice.

Diazepam Nasal Spray Demonstrates Good Safety, Tolerability Independent of Usage Frequency

An analysis of 2 different doses of intranasal diazepam showed consistent safety and tolerability results for repeat dosing

James Wheless, MD: Treating Seizure Clusters With Midazolam

The professor and chief of pediatric neurology, and director of the comprehensive epilepsy program and neuroscience institute at Le Bonheur Children’s Hospital offered insight into his experience with midazolam and its potential to play a vital role in treating seizure clusters.