Sharp Waves: ILAE's epilepsy podcast

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Are people who have their first seizure during sleep at greater or lesser risk for future seizures, compared with people who have their first seizure when they're awake? Dr. Laurent Sheybani interviews Dr. Elaine Pang, author of a 2023 paper in Epilepsia that analyzed data from 1,312 adults visiting a first-seizure clinic.

This episode also discusses a 2015 evidence-based guideline on managing a first unprovoked seizure in adults. The guideline was developed by the American Academy of Neurology and the American Epilepsy Society.
Sharp Waves episodes are meant for informational purposes only, and not as clinical or medical advice.

Let us know how we're doing:  info@ilae.org

The International League Against Epilepsy is the world's preeminent association of health professionals and scientists, working toward a world where no person's life is limited by epilepsy. Visit us on Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn.

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 In this episode of Sharp Waves, host Nancy welcomes renowned neurologist and neuro-oncologist Dr. Katie Peters from the Preston Robert Tisch Brain Tumor Center to discuss the important connection between brain tumors and epilepsy. Dr. Peters shares her expertise on how brain tumors can contribute to seizure disorders, the challenges patients face, and the latest approaches to diagnosis, treatment, and care. Whether you're a healthcare professional, patient, caregiver, or simply interested in neuroscience, this insightful conversation offers valuable perspectives on navigating these complex neurological conditions. Tune in for an engaging discussion with one of the field's leading experts. 
Sharp Waves episodes are meant for informational purposes only, and not as clinical or medical advice.

Let us know how we're doing:  info@ilae.org

The International League Against Epilepsy is the world's preeminent association of health professionals and scientists, working toward a world where no person's life is limited by epilepsy. Visit us on Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn.

Send comments and feedback
In this Sharp Waves podcast episode “Epilepsy and Functional/Dissociative Seizures,” Wesley Kerr, MD, PhD, a statistician and epileptologist at University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, joins Shruti Iyer, MD, a third year neurology resident at University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, to discuss their recently published study on categorizing the probability of epilepsy in patients already diagnosed with functional dissociative seizures (FDS). The conversation highlights how this proposed framework may help clinicians better identify patients who could have coexisting epilepsy and improve diagnostic accuracy and treatment planning. The episode also notes that functional dissociative seizures were previously, and in some settings are still, referred to as psychogenic non epileptic seizures (PNES).
You can access the research article here.
Sharp Waves episodes are meant for informational purposes only, and not as clinical or medical advice.

Let us know how we're doing:  info@ilae.org

The International League Against Epilepsy is the world's preeminent association of health professionals and scientists, working toward a world where no person's life is limited by epilepsy. Visit us on Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn.

Send comments and feedback
Nearly one-third of people with autism also have epilepsy. Researchers aren't sure why.

For people on the spectrum, epilepsy can prompt unique challenges. Seizure symptoms can be misinterpreted as common autistic behaviors. Treatment may also be difficult due to the stress of a clinical setting, or the impact of anti-seizure medications on autism symptoms. Currently, some experts argue that there is a lack of research in assessing these care pathways.
 
To learn more about diagnosis and treatment for people with autism and epilepsy, Joy Mazur spoke to Dr. Colin Reilly and Dr. Stéphane Auvin.

Related studies/links:

Epilepsy in patients with autism: links, risks and treatment challenges Besag FMC, et al., 2017

Neurobehavioral Comorbidities in Children with Active Epilepsy: A Population-Based Study Reilly C, et al., 2014

Traditional and non-traditional treatments for autism spectrum disorder with seizures: an on-line survey Frye RE, et al., 2011

Epilepsy and autism - National Autistic Society
Sharp Waves episodes are meant for informational purposes only, and not as clinical or medical advice.

Let us know how we're doing:  info@ilae.org

The International League Against Epilepsy is the world's preeminent association of health professionals and scientists, working toward a world where no person's life is limited by epilepsy. Visit us on Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn.

Send comments and feedback
What is autoimmune-associated epilepsy, and how is it different from acute seizures with an autoimmune cause? How can clinicians best diagnose and treat these conditions? Sharp Waves reporter Dr. Maryam Nabavi-Nouri spoke with Dr. Claude Steriade.

Claude Steriade, MD, CM is originally from Quebec City, Canada. She completed medical school at McGill University in Montreal, followed by an adult neurology residency at the University of Toronto. Dr. Steriade then completed a two-year epilepsy fellowship at the Cleveland Clinic before joining the epilepsy center at New York University.
 
Relevant articles:

Acute symptomatic seizures secondary to autoimmune encephalitis and autoimmune-associated epilepsy: Conceptual definitions
Discerning the Role of Autoimmunity and Autoantibodies in Epilepsy: A Review 
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This episode was reported by Dr. Maryam Nabavi-Nouri, and edited and produced by Nancy Volkers.
Sharp Waves episodes are meant for informational purposes only, and not as clinical or medical advice.

Let us know how we're doing:  info@ilae.org

The International League Against Epilepsy is the world's preeminent association of health professionals and scientists, working toward a world where no person's life is limited by epilepsy. Visit us on Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn.