Sharp Waves: ILAE's epilepsy podcast

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Katja Kobow is the most recent winner of the Michael Prize, an international award in epilepsy research. Her work focuses on epigenetics and epilepsy, a field that has grown exponentially in only the past 10 to 15 years. Dr. Kobow talked about her research and its potential for epilepsy diagnosis and treatment.

Epigenetics is the bookmarking system or the data management system of our genome. It decides which part of the genome is read, and when to read it. The epigenome is what makes the genome versatile in terms of regulating gene expression.

Epigenetics is crucial for all aspects of brain development and function. It’s also reversible, which has exciting implications for anti-epileptogenic therapies.  

Dr. Kobow is assistant professor at the Institute of Neuropathology at the University Hospital Erlangen, Germany. 

Selected recent publications:
 

DNA methylation-based classification of malformations of cortical development in the human brain (Acta Neuropathologica, 2022)

Molecular diagnostics in drug-resistant focal epilepsy define new disease entities (Brain Pathology, 2021)

Epigenetics explained: a topic “primer” for the epilepsy community by the ILAE Genetics/Epigenetics Task Force (Epileptic Disorders, 2020)

Sharp Waves episodes are meant for informational purposes only, and not as clinical or medical advice.

Let us know how we're doing:  [email protected]

The International League Against Epilepsy is the world's preeminent association of health professionals and scientists, working toward a world where no person's life is limited by epilepsy. Visit us on Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn.

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Are people who have their first seizure during sleep at greater or lesser risk for future seizures, compared with people who have their first seizure when they're awake? Dr. Laurent Sheybani interviews Dr. Elaine Pang, author of a 2023 paper in Epilepsia that analyzed data from 1,312 adults visiting a first-seizure clinic.

This episode also discusses a 2015 evidence-based guideline on managing a first unprovoked seizure in adults. The guideline was developed by the American Academy of Neurology and the American Epilepsy Society.

Sharp Waves episodes are meant for informational purposes only, and not as clinical or medical advice.

Let us know how we're doing:  [email protected]

The International League Against Epilepsy is the world's preeminent association of health professionals and scientists, working toward a world where no person's life is limited by epilepsy. Visit us on Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn.

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 In this episode of Sharp Waves, host Nancy welcomes renowned neurologist and neuro-oncologist Dr. Katie Peters from the Preston Robert Tisch Brain Tumor Center to discuss the important connection between brain tumors and epilepsy. Dr. Peters shares her expertise on how brain tumors can contribute to seizure disorders, the challenges patients face, and the latest approaches to diagnosis, treatment, and care. Whether you're a healthcare professional, patient, caregiver, or simply interested in neuroscience, this insightful conversation offers valuable perspectives on navigating these complex neurological conditions. Tune in for an engaging discussion with one of the field's leading experts. 

Sharp Waves episodes are meant for informational purposes only, and not as clinical or medical advice.

Let us know how we're doing:  [email protected]

The International League Against Epilepsy is the world's preeminent association of health professionals and scientists, working toward a world where no person's life is limited by epilepsy. Visit us on Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn.

Send comments and feedback

In this Sharp Waves podcast episode “Epilepsy and Functional/Dissociative Seizures,” Wesley Kerr, MD, PhD, a statistician and epileptologist at University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, joins Shruti Iyer, MD, a third year neurology resident at University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, to discuss their recently published study on categorizing the probability of epilepsy in patients already diagnosed with functional dissociative seizures (FDS). The conversation highlights how this proposed framework may help clinicians better identify patients who could have coexisting epilepsy and improve diagnostic accuracy and treatment planning. The episode also notes that functional dissociative seizures were previously, and in some settings are still, referred to as psychogenic non epileptic seizures (PNES).

You can access the research article here.

Sharp Waves episodes are meant for informational purposes only, and not as clinical or medical advice.

Let us know how we're doing:  [email protected]

The International League Against Epilepsy is the world's preeminent association of health professionals and scientists, working toward a world where no person's life is limited by epilepsy. Visit us on Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn.

Send comments and feedback

Nearly one-third of people with autism also have epilepsy. Researchers aren't sure why.

For people on the spectrum, epilepsy can prompt unique challenges. Seizure symptoms can be misinterpreted as common autistic behaviors. Treatment may also be difficult due to the stress of a clinical setting, or the impact of anti-seizure medications on autism symptoms. Currently, some experts argue that there is a lack of research in assessing these care pathways.
 
To learn more about diagnosis and treatment for people with autism and epilepsy, Joy Mazur spoke to Dr. Colin Reilly and Dr. Stéphane Auvin.

Related studies/links:

Epilepsy in patients with autism: links, risks and treatment challenges Besag FMC, et al., 2017

Neurobehavioral Comorbidities in Children with Active Epilepsy: A Population-Based Study Reilly C, et al., 2014

Traditional and non-traditional treatments for autism spectrum disorder with seizures: an on-line survey Frye RE, et al., 2011

Epilepsy and autism - National Autistic Society

Sharp Waves episodes are meant for informational purposes only, and not as clinical or medical advice.

Let us know how we're doing:  [email protected]

The International League Against Epilepsy is the world's preeminent association of health professionals and scientists, working toward a world where no person's life is limited by epilepsy. Visit us on Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn.

Send comments and feedback

What is autoimmune-associated epilepsy, and how is it different from acute seizures with an autoimmune cause? How can clinicians best diagnose and treat these conditions? Sharp Waves reporter Dr. Maryam Nabavi-Nouri spoke with Dr. Claude Steriade.

Claude Steriade, MD, CM is originally from Quebec City, Canada. She completed medical school at McGill University in Montreal, followed by an adult neurology residency at the University of Toronto. Dr. Steriade then completed a two-year epilepsy fellowship at the Cleveland Clinic before joining the epilepsy center at New York University.

 
Relevant articles:

Acute symptomatic seizures secondary to autoimmune encephalitis and autoimmune-associated epilepsy: Conceptual definitions

Discerning the Role of Autoimmunity and Autoantibodies in Epilepsy: A Review 

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This episode was reported by Dr. Maryam Nabavi-Nouri, and edited and produced by Nancy Volkers.

Sharp Waves episodes are meant for informational purposes only, and not as clinical or medical advice.

Let us know how we're doing:  [email protected]

The International League Against Epilepsy is the world's preeminent association of health professionals and scientists, working toward a world where no person's life is limited by epilepsy. Visit us on Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn.

Send comments and feedback

Bidirectional links between epilepsy and sleep have been known for thousands of years. Despite nearly a century of research using EEG investigations, the relationships are still not well understood.

Dr. Laurent Sheybani interviewed Dr. Birgit Frauscher, an epileptologist and sleep specialist at the Montreal Neurological Institute. They discussed what is known about sleep patterns, how sleep may influence epileptic activity and vice versa, and how sleep research may lead to more effective epilepsy treatments.

Studies mentioned in the interview include:
Interictal Hippocampal Spiking Influences the Occurrence of Hippocampal Sleep Spindles (Frauscher et al., 2015, Sleep)

Focal epilepsy disrupts spindle structure and function (Schiller et al., 2022, Nature Scientific Reports)

Origin and significance of the cyclic alternating pattern: Review article (Terzano & Parrino, 2000, Sleep Medicine Reviews)

SleepSEEG: automatic sleep scoring using intracranial EEG recordings only (von Ellenrieder et al., 2022, J. Neural Eng.)

Recurrent Hippocampo-neocortical sleep-state divergence in humans (Guthrie et al., 2022, PNAS)

Scalp spindles are associated with widespread intracranial activity with unexpectedly low synchrony (Frauscher et al., 2015, Neuroimage)

Sharp Waves episodes are meant for informational purposes only, and not as clinical or medical advice.

Let us know how we're doing:  [email protected]

The International League Against Epilepsy is the world's preeminent association of health professionals and scientists, working toward a world where no person's life is limited by epilepsy. Visit us on Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn.

Send comments and feedback

Seizure action plans can help people with epilepsy manage their seizures and address emergencies. They often are aimed at a subset of people with epilepsy, particularly children. Dr. Lucretia Long discusses how seizure action plans can be used to engage and educate all people with epilepsy, as well as their families and the larger community.

Seizure action plan examples: English, Spanish, Simplified Chinese, Korean, Tagalog, Ukrainian, Vietnamese

Online fillable seizure action plan - English (PDF)

Plan de acción de incautación en línea  - espanol (PDF)

List of published research on seizure action plans

Sharp Waves episodes are meant for informational purposes only, and not as clinical or medical advice.

Let us know how we're doing:  [email protected]

The International League Against Epilepsy is the world's preeminent association of health professionals and scientists, working toward a world where no person's life is limited by epilepsy. Visit us on Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn.

Send comments and feedback

We discuss the response to the updated classification of seizures with Prof. Eugen Trinka, including why the changes were made and how the changes are being explained and socialized. 

Sharp Waves episodes are meant for informational purposes only, and not as clinical or medical advice.

Let us know how we're doing:  [email protected]

The International League Against Epilepsy is the world's preeminent association of health professionals and scientists, working toward a world where no person's life is limited by epilepsy. Visit us on Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn.

Send comments and feedback

Celebrating International Epilepsy Day (Feb 9) with an episode of strength and hope! Jessie Nyirenda's seizures went undiagnosed for years. She was told she was misbehaving, possessed, and bewitched. She finally diagnosed herself after reading about epilepsy in a library. Taking anti-seizure medication and joining an epilepsy support group changed Jessie's life and made her realize she was no different from anyone else. Now a mother of three and a banking sector specialist, Jessie is active in epilepsy advocacy.

IBE toolkit for reducing stigma in Africa

Sharp Waves episodes are meant for informational purposes only, and not as clinical or medical advice.

Let us know how we're doing:  [email protected]

The International League Against Epilepsy is the world's preeminent association of health professionals and scientists, working toward a world where no person's life is limited by epilepsy. Visit us on Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn.