Suzanne Nurse says the best thing about attending the recent International Epilepsy Conference (IEC) in Montreal was the opportunity to learn about the latest developments in epilepsy research and treatment of seizure disorders.
Nurse, an epilepsy information specialist with Epilepsy Ontario, says the discussions from expert panels about research into the genetic and immune-mediated causes of epilepsy and developments in epilepsy treatment — such as new surgical approaches and medication and diet treatments — give her the most hope for improving the lives of people living with the neurological disorder.
“Hearing about all the exciting things that people are doing within Canada and in other countries, as well as sharing what we are doing, is something that invigorates and re-energizes me,” says Nurse.
She adds: “I can’t wait to get back and work even harder on Epilepsy Ontario projects and initiatives.”
Other highlights of the event Nurse found enriching include meeting people from across the globe working in clinical settings and research labs who are dedicated to improving the lives of people with epilepsy, as well as discovering the campaigns people are working on to end stigmas associated with epilepsy.
Sessions and panel discussions explored a myriad of important topics; from the challenges facing people with epilepsy living in the developing world to the relation of epilepsy and stress to paediatric epilepsy.
Scientist and epilepsy advocate Melanie Jeffrey also attended the conference. Jeffrey presented a research poster she created with other graduate students, professors and doctors.
“My poster described some unexpected anticonvulsant effects of the hormone progesterone that our lab discovered in the past year,” she explains. “I hope this research will help us understand relationships between seizures and hormones, which affect men and women with epilepsy.”
Jeffrey adds that attending the conference has been beneficial in many ways for her.
“New ideas are swirling in my mind about the huge amount I have learned over the last five days,” she says. “Meeting potential collaborators, sharing ideas and being exposed to new ideas about epilepsy were inspiring for me as a person, an advocate and a scientist.”
Of note, Jeffrey says a session on how legislation and advocacy in other countries has improved lives of people with epilepsy without costing more was a great learning experience she can take home.
“I can explain why specialized epilepsy care for people with epilepsy and their families is necessary in Ontario, and save the health care system and our province money,” she says.
Hosting the IEC in Canada for the first time in more than 30 years was advantageous to Canadians working and volunteering with epilepsy associations nationwide because it gave more people easier access to an important event where they could learn about a broad range of topics related to epilepsy, says Nurse.
“It is a great honour for Canada to host the International Epilepsy Congress. . . . Canadian epilepsy researchers, clinicians and advocates are leaders in the international epilepsy community, so it is wonderful for us to be the host country,” she says.
Nurse adds that having Montreal and Canada hosting the event was of particular significance.
“Montreal has a great history as a site of innovation and discovery in epilepsy dating back to the first half of the 20th century and the work of neurosurgeon Dr. Wilder Penfield,” she says.
“There are epilepsy specialists all over the world who have done some, or all, of their epilepsy training in Canada.”
Writer: Deron Hamel
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