2005 Epilepsy Symposium for Patients, Families and Caregivers

A free educational symposium for patients, families and caregivers impacted by epilepsy will explore the latest treatments and strategies for living successfully with the condition. The half-day symposium, featuring experts from The Neuroscience Institute at the University of Cincinnati (UC) and University Hospital, is scheduled for Nov. 19, 2005 (8 a.m. to 1 p.m.) at the Kingsgate Marriott Conference Hotel on the UC campus.

The symposium, titled "Success with Your Epilepsy," will cover issues relating to both pediatric and adult epilepsy. Topics will include the causes and effects of epilepsy, new treatments, family and caregiver issues and coping methods. The symposium also will provide information about resources in the community.

Four members of The Neuroscience Institute will speak:

• David M. Ficker, MD, assistant professor of neurology at UC and associate director of the Cincinnati Epilepsy Center at University Hospital
• Angela Morriss, MD, assistant professor of neurology at UC
• Michael D. Privitera, MD, vice chair and professor of neurology at UC, and director of the Cincinnati Epilepsy Center.
• Jerzy Szaflarski, MD, PhD, assistant professor of neurology and director of the Center for Imaging Research at UC.

Presentations will be followed by a one-hour panel discussion. The symposium will conclude with a luncheon and multiple roundtable discussions with epilepsy physicians and researchers. The luncheon/roundtable setting will give participants a unique opportunity to discuss topics of their choosing with some of the world's foremost experts in the field of epilepsy.

For reservation information, contact Brooke Cribbs at (513) 569-5251 or

bcribbs@mayfieldclinic.com

.

Approximately 2.3 million Americans suffer from epilepsy, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and between 400,000 and 600,000 people have seizures that are not controlled by anti-epileptic medications. A 1994 World Health Organization study found that, in disability-adjusted life years, epilepsy accounted for 1 percent of the global burden of disease, equivalent to lung cancer in men and breast cancer in women

The Neuroscience Institute is a collaborative effort of the University Hospital, nine academic departments at the UC College of Medicine, and independent physician practice groups. The Institute is dedicated to patient care, research, education, and the development of new medical technologies.

The Cincinnati Epilepsy Center provides access to treatment and the newest clinical trials to the estimated 8,000 people in Greater Cincinnati with epilepsy. Between 200 and 225 patients undergo epilepsy monitoring at the Cincinnati Epilepsy Center each year, and up to 40 undergo neurosurgery.