This page will provide current news and information including:
August 26, 2007
The National Association of Epilepsy Centers acknowledges more needs to be done
The National Association of Epilepsy Centers (NAEC) has told the The Nonepileptic Seizure Organization that they acknowledge that more needs to be done to help those with NES receive proper referrals to experienced NES treatment providers. We have contacted many of their member centers and have found that they often do not have well established referral systems in place for NES patients. They provide diagnosis for NES but do not have the specific names of treatment providers (psychologists/psychiatrists) ready to give to them.
The Nonepileptic Seizure Organization believes that every epilepsy center who is a member of the NAEC needs to have a comprehensive referral system in place. This is one of the requirements in the NAEC’s “Guidelines for Essential Services, Personnel, and Facilities in Specialized Epilepsy Centers in the United States”.
We’ve had some good discussions with NAEC personnel and hope that they follow through with commitments stated to us to address this problem.
May 9, 2007
Announcing an on-going therapy group for those with Nonepileptic Seizures
The group is led by Kim Bullock, MD, Clinical Assistant Professor in the Stanford Behavior Medicine Clinic at Stanford University in California. Group members will learn ways to decrease and stop their nonepileptic seizures and improve their quality of life. Visit our Treatment Database page for important details.
April 2, 2007
Study project by Margo Henderson, APRN, BC at The Medical College of Georgia
Margo Henderson is experienced in working with NES patients and has contacted us to request our help to announce a study she is conducting. We have provided her space on our web site for this purpose. All who are interested in participating or who have questions can contact her through our contact form. Please include in your contact that you are responding to the study project announcement.
"I am a Nurse Practitioner who is working with patients with non-epileptic seizures. I am doing a pilot study in a teaching hospital and would like to see if my project will help patients reduce their events. My main goal is to help with the understanding of this condition. I would like to have patients help in the research by answering a few questionnaires and allowing me to talk to them.
When the study is finished, my hope is to publish this work to physicians and health care workers who will help others with this condition. I can be contacted through this website."
Margo Henderson, APRN, BC
Medical College of Georgia
Instructor, Graduate Studies
School of Nursing
February, 2007
Introducing some of the leaders in the field of NES research and treatment
The Workshop on Nonepileptic Seizures
In May of 2005, an international group of researchers held a workshop in Bethesda, MD to discuss the development of treatments for patients with NES. We are following these researchers and will report what their results as they are made available. For more information please see the following articles:
The Workshop on Nonepileptic Seizures
Nonepileptic seizures treatment workshop summary
Three of the Workshop committe members are:
- Curt LaFrance, Jr., MD is the Director of Neuropsychiatry at Rhode Island Hospital and Assistant Professor of Psychiatry and Neurology (Research) in the Departments of Psychiatry and Human Behavior and of Clinical Neurosciences at Brown Medical School. He is currently conducting research on the use of an SSRI for symptoms in NES. Results will not be in until early 2008. He is committee Chair of the Workshop on Nonepileptic Seizures and a member of the American Epilepsy Society.
http://research.brown.edu/myresearch/W._Curt_LaFrance_Jr.
- Selim Benbadis, MD is a Professor and Director of the Comprehensive Epilepsy Program and Clinical Neurophysiology Laboratory at the University of South Florida & Tampa General Hospital. He is a committee member of the Workshop on Nonepileptic Seizures and is a member of the American Epilepsy Society. His publication (with Leanne Heriaud RN) "Psychogenic Nonepileptic Seizures: A Guide for Patients & Families" is a very valuable resource for patients newly diagnosed with NES and should be a part of every neurologists patient resource material. Dr. Benbadis also acts as Professional Advisor and consultant for this organization.
http://www.hsc.usf.edu/com/epilepsy/
- John J. Barry, MD is Associate Professor and the Director of the Neuropsychiatry & Psychotherapy Clinics at Stanford University Medical Center. Dr. Barry has extensive experience in NES treatment and is a committee member of the Workshop on Nonepileptic Seizures and is a member of the Professional Advisory Board of the Epilepsy Foundation. He is also a member of the American Epilepsy Society.
http://www.stanfordhospital.com/search/PhysicianDetail?doc=52
Other leading researchers in the field of NES research and treatment
Research on NES and the best treatments is not plentiful, but it is being done, and being done well. In addition to the Workshop on Nonepileptic Seizures there are others who are working to help those with NES.
- Elizabeth S. Bowman, MD is a consulting psychiatrist at Indiana University Epilepsy Clinic and an Adjunct Clinical Professor of Neurology at Indiana University Dept. of Neurology. Dr. Bowman is an expert in Nonepileptic Seizures and Dissociation and in the last 20 years has evaluated about 900 people with NES. She is the author of many publications on nonepileptic seizures, dissociation and other topics.
http://indianaepilepsyservices.iusm.iu.edu/iucomprehensiveepilepsycenter.htm
Contact: nthomps@kumc.edu
