Litigation

Seziure Disorders and Epilepsy-Special Education Campaign

By Michael Kaplen

Seizure disorders and epilepsy frequently result following a traumatic brain injury.

The condition takes many different forms and can attack without warning.  The condition can affect an individual?s ability to speak, talk, think, or walk.  An individual suffering from seizures or epilepsy caused by a brain injury may suffer from bed wetting, or uncontrolled movement of their bowels.

Seizure disorders and epilepsy can result in driving restrictions and limit an individual?s ability to work and even socialize with family and friends.Frequently, anxiety, depression, and suicidal ideation accompany epilepsy and seizures.

While there have been great advances in pharmaceutical treatment of epilepsy, approximately one third of people with epilepsy still have seizures. Even those with controlled seizures must take daily medication, attend doctor's visits, submit to blood tests, limit their activities, and otherwise modify their lives.

As part of National Epilepsy Awareness Month, the Epilepsy Foundation has embarked on a special education campaign, "Get Seizure Smart."  

Get Seizure Smart intends to improve public education in regard to seizure recognition, seizure types, and seizure first aid. Flyers for doctors' offices and other locations are available free of charge. The Epilepsy Foundation   has formed a cooperative agreement with the CDC "to develop and implement programs to enhance epilepsy public awareness and promote partnerships, education, and communication at local and national levels." One such project is the Managing Epilepsy Well (MEW) Network,   an alliance of the Epilepsy Foundation and 4 of the CDC's Prevention Research Centers (Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia; University of Texas Health Science Center, Houston, Texas; University of Washington, Seattle; and University of Michigan, Ann Arbor). According to the CDC, MEW's mission is "to advance the science related to epilepsy self-management by facilitating and implementing research, conducting research in collaboration with network and community stakeholders, and broadly disseminating the findings of research."

MEW recently sponsored a Webinar on New Community-based Programs and e-tools for Depression Treatment and Epilepsy Self-management. Information presented in this recent Webinar is available in the November issue of Epilepsy and Behavior . 

Full post as published by Brain Injury News and Information on November 29, 2010 (boomark / email).