Attendees from Africa: Luis Bernadino and Manuel Cruzeiro (Angola), David Bearden (Botswana / USA), Elie Mbonda (Cameroun), Therese Douayoua-Sonan (Cote d’Ivoire), Luc Malimbalimba Maururu (DRC), Ahmed Raouf Ibrahim (Egypt), Kindu Woldemichael (Ethiopia), Eben Badoe (Ghana), Pauline Samia and Charles Newton (Kenya), Macpherson Mallewa (Malawi), Dalila Ibrhimo Sulemane (Mozambique), Wammanda Daniel Robinson (Nigeria), Judy Orikiiza Tatwangire and Febrionie Mushimiyimana (Rwanda), Moustapha Ndiaye (Senegal), Alhaji Alusine Jalloh (Sierra Leone), Jo Wilmshurst, Andre Venter and Gail Scher (South Africa), Haydar El Hadi Babikir (Sudan), Angelina Kakooza and Richard Idro (Uganda), Evans Mpabalwani (Zambia).
From outside Africa: Harry Chugani, Deborah Hirtz, Douglas Postels, Pamela Follett (USA); Helen Cross and Cheryl Hemingway (UK), Lieven Legae (Begium) and Mitsuhiro Kato (Japan).
The program commenced with basic approaches and mimics of epilepsy, and then progressed to discuss more complex issues such as epilepsy surgery. The final day focused on the way forward and covered how information technology resources and non-government organisations can be used. The final part of the meeting consisted of dividing the attendees into small working groups who discussed key themes which had arisen during the meeting namely capacity, definitions, guidelines, and training and education needs. Each theme was summarised by one of the African delegates who co-facilitated a working group.
The meeting was recorded, the videos of the presentations are available on the ICNApedia web-site (www.ICNApedia.org) along with the power-point presentations (after the patient and data confidentiality was addressed).
The presentations were delivered by members of the International Child Neurology Association (ICNA), African Child Neurology Association (ACNA), International League Against Epilepsy (ILAE), National Institutes of Health (NIH), the Japanese Child Neurology Society and the delegates.
Twenty-eight countries provided information on their services, capacity and approach to children with epilepsy. Thirty-three delegates from 19 of these countries were able to attend the meeting, those who could not expressed eagerness to remain part of the working group. A further five specialists from countries outside Africa (United Kingdom, United States of America, Belgium and Japan) attended the meeting.
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New recommendations on the use of anti-epileptic drugs (AEDs) for the treatment of adults and children with epilepsy have been set out, in updated NICE guidelines.
Epilepsy affects up to an estimated 415,000 people in England, and two-thirds of people with active epilepsy have their condition satisfactorily controlled by AEDs.
NICE first published guidance on epilepsy in 2004 that included recommendations on the use of AEDs, as well as advice on the diagnosis, treatment and further management of the condition.
As recent years have seen a rise in the number of AEDs being prescribed, NICE has now updated this clinical guideline to provide information on newer AEDs.
The update describes how and when newer AEDs should be considered alongside older medicines, and can help GPs ensure they are prescribing treatments that are effective both clinically and cost effective.
NICE recommends that when possible, clinicians should choose which AED to offer on the basis of the presenting epilepsy syndrome. If the epilepsy syndrome is not clear at presentation, base the decision on the presenting seizure type(s).
When prescribing sodium valproate to women and girls of present and future childbearing potential, GPs should discuss the possible risk of malformation and neuro-developmental impairments in an unborn child. This is particularly the case with high doses of the AED or when using it as part of polytherapy.
Buccal midazolam or rectal diazepam should only be used in the community for children, young people and adults who have had a previous episode of prolonged or serial convulsive seizures, says NICE.
In addition, buccal midalozam should be administered as first-line treatment in children, young people and adults with prolonged or repeated seizures in the community.
GPs should prescribe rectal diazepam, if this is preferred, or if buccal midazolam is not available.
If intravenous access is already established, and resuscitation facilities are available, intravenous lorazepam should be administered.
Dr Greg Rogers, a GPwSI in epilepsy who was involved in the development of the updated guidelines said: “Epilepsy is the most common serious neurological disorder that we encounter in the UK.
“Whilst the majority of people with active epilepsy can satisfactorily control recurrent seizures, many still suffer from ongoing seizures and helping them to become seizure-free can help improve their health outcomes.
“This updated guideline is welcome as it incorporates the newer AEDs which have emerged in the UK since the original guidance was published in 2004.
“With the current uncertainty over whether these newer medicines bring any additional clinical benefits for their price, this guideline update helps inform GPs of their therapeutic choices.
“The use of levetiracetam is of particular interest as the last decade has seen its use increase. It is an effective and well tolerated drug but also expensive. Therefore, guidance on the use of this AED is welcome and on where it should be placed in the treatment of people with epilepsy.”
Elsewhere, the updated guideline contains a new recommendation on use of the ketogenic diet - a diet that is high in fat but low in carbohydrates and protein.
NICE says that if a child or young person with epilepsy has seizures that have not responded to appropriate AEDs, GPs should refer them to a tertiary paediatric epilepsy specialist to be considered for the ketogenic diet.
NICE has produced a range of tools to help support the implementation of this guideline, including a baseline assessment tool, clinical audit tools and a range of pharmacological treatment tables.
The guideline is also available to view as a NICE Pathway - a new online tool that provides quick and easy access to guidance recommendations.
Source: NICE
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The ILAE "6th Migrating Course on Epilepsy" will be held in Porto, Portugal, from 10 -17 June 2012.The Portuguese League Against Epilepsy will organize the event and outline the scientific program, in close collaboration with the Commission on European Affairs of the ILAE.
This is a comprehensive course combining basic and clinical epileptology. It is aimed primarily to younger doctors (< 45yrs). The teaching staff comprises european epileptologists with widely recognized scientific and educational skills. The working model will be interactive, with emphasis on work sessions in small groups, and participants are encouraged to bring specific cases to discuss their own clinical experience.
We would be thankful if you could transmit this initiative to the members of your chapter, and perhaps announce the event at your chapter’s website (an english version is available at http://www.epilepsia.pt/lpce/6th-migrating-course-on-epilepsy.
A limited number of bursaries will be available from the course organization. It would be excellent if your chapter could perhaps support deserving applications from your country, reducing the costs of participation for those not contemplated with the course bursary.
The first announcement of the 6th Migrating Course can be found attached and is also available for download at the LPCE website (http://www.epilepsia.pt/lpce/6th-migrating-course-on-epilepsy).
Looking forward to receiving applications from your country, we send our best regards,
The Course Directors of the 6th Migrating Course on epilepsy:
Alla Guekht
Peter Wolf
Francisco Sales
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The ILAE "6th Migrating Course on Epilepsy" will be held in Porto, Portugal, from 10 -17 June 2012.The Portuguese League Against Epilepsy will organize the event and outline the scientific program, in close collaboration with the Commission on European Affairs of the ILAE.
This is a comprehensive course combining basic and clinical epileptology. It is aimed primarily to younger doctors (< 45yrs). The teaching staff comprises european epileptologists with widely recognized scientific and educational skills. The working model will be interactive, with emphasis on work sessions in small groups, and participants are encouraged to bring specific cases to discuss their own clinical experience.
We would be thankful if you could transmit this initiative to the members of your chapter, and perhaps announce the event at your chapter’s website (an english version is available at http://www.epilepsia.pt/lpce/6th-migrating-course-on-epilepsy.
A limited number of bursaries will be available from the course organization. It would be excellent if your chapter could perhaps support deserving applications from your country, reducing the costs of participation for those not contemplated with the course bursary.
The first announcement of the 6th Migrating Course can be found attached and is also available for download at the LPCE website (http://www.epilepsia.pt/lpce/6th-migrating-course-on-epilepsy).
Looking forward to receiving applications from your country, we send our best regards,
The Course Directors of the 6th Migrating Course on epilepsy:
Alla Guekht
Peter Wolf
Francisco Sales
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- Jo M Wilmshurst
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The following IRCN books will be made available to ICNA active members who have paid their membership dues for the respective years.
| Book for Year |
Title |
Editors |
Status |
| 2008 |
Stroke |
Ganesan & Kirkham |
Published in 2011 |
| 2009 |
Leucodystrophies |
Fatemi & Naidu |
Published in 2011 |
| 2010 |
Acquired Brain Injury in the Fetus & Newborn |
Shevell & Miller |
To be published in March/April 2012 |
| 2011 |
CNS infections |
Singhi, Griffins, Newton |
To be published in June 2012 |
| 2010 |
Acquired Brain Injury in the Fetus & Newborn |
Shevell & Miller |
To be published in March/April 2012 |
| 2011 |
CNS infections |
Singhi, Griffins, Newton |
To be published in June 2012 |
| Future Books | ||
| Title of Book |
Editors |
Expected date of Publishing |
| Neonatal Seizures | Lakshmi Nagarajan | December 2012 |
| Immunology |
Rob Rust |
TBC |
| Epilepsy Surgery in Children |
Helen Cross and Michael Duchowny |
? 2013 |
| Myasthenia in Children |
Hugo Arroyo |
TBC |
| Tropical Neurology |
Veena Kalra |
TBC |
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