National experts to address epilepsy disorder

Oct 5 2009

The Epilepsy Foundation of Minnesota is partnering with Mayo Clinic to host a regional patient education conference called “Living with Seizures: Today & Tomorrow.” The regional conference will feature national experts in epilepsy, panel discussions and breakout sessions that include the following topics:

• Solutions for School Success for Children with Epilepsy
• Taking Control—Your Spirit, Mind and Body
• What’s New, What’s Coming: Medications, Surgery and Research
• Living with an Epilepsy Diagnosis: 5 Common Problems and How to Address Them

The conference will feature four breakout sessions designed for parents of school age children, teens and young adults, adults and seniors with epilepsy. Featured speakers include Dr. Elaine Wirrell of Mayo Clinic and Patty Schafer, RN, Epilepsy Nurse Specialist, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Boston, Mass. To learn more about the conference, please contact Vicki Kopplin of the Epilepsy Foundation of Minnesota at 651-287-2314 and visit the website www.efmn.org.

Epilepsy, a condition characterized by frequent seizures, affects more than three million Americans. Epilepsy is equal in prevalence to cerebral palsy, multiple sclerosis and Parkinson’s disease combined. According to the Epilepsy Foundation of America, approximately 200,000 new cases are diagnosed each year. Epilepsy can happen to anyone at any time.

Epilepsy affects both men and women; however, males are slightly more likely to develop the disorder than females. More than 30 percent of patients with epilepsy have refractory epilepsy, a condition in which seizures are not adequately controlled by drugs. Seizures are not a disease; rather they are a symptom of many disorders that can affect the brain. While some seizures are barely noticeable, others are extremely debilitating.