AES Press Releases

American Epilepsy Society (AES) 63rd Annual

Scientific Conference to Be Held December in Boston

West Hartford, CT, September 22 –

The American Epilepsy Society (AES) has announced that its 63rd Annual Meeting, the preeminent scientific and educational conference for professionals concerned with seizures and epilepsy, will take place in Boston, December 4 – 8 at the Hynes Convention Center.

Epilepsy, the most common serious brain disorder affecting 50 million worldwide, is the focus of international investigation to understand and manage the condition. The AES Annual Meeting features over 1,000 scientific reports on progress in epilepsy research and recent developments in clinical practice in the management of epilepsy and its comorbidities. More than 4,000 physicians, scientists, and allied healthcare professionals from around the globe participate in this annual event.

Eight symposia and three plenary sessions will be offered, including a session on the first ever consensus recommendations on safety in the epilepsy monitoring unit (EMU), a session that builds on the findings of the Society’s EMU Patient Safety workgroups. In another session the first ever international consensus definition of treatment resistant epilepsy will be presented, an important development in facilitating comparisons across scientific studies. Epilepsy will also come under discussion as a spectrum disorder, a characterization likely to have increasing impact on the future in clinical practice.

The symposia topics are

  • Biomarkers in Epilepsy

  • Pitfalls in Diagnosis and Treatment of Epilepsy (In Spanish)

  • Predictors and Methodologies of Epilepsy Self-Management

  • Beyond Seizures: Mechanisms Underlying Epilepsy Spectrum Disorder

  • Treatment Strategies for the Patient with Epilepsy

  • Expert Consensus on Patient Safety (in the EMU)

  • Treatable Metabolic Epilepsies

  • Redefining Treatment Resistant Epilepsy (the new ILAE consensus definition)

The AES meeting will also feature twelve investigator workshop topics, conducted informally and designed to identify challenges in current research, propose methods to overcome those challenges, and identify areas for future investigation. Among the discussion topics are

  • Rodent Models of Febrile Seizures

  • Neuro-glia Signaling and Epilepsy

  • Stem Cells and Epilepsy

  • Curing the Disease by Replacing the Gene: Is It So Straightforward?

  • Possible Mechanisms of SUDEP (Sudden Unexplained Death in Epilepsy)

  • Optical Imaging of Epilepsy: Hemodynamic and Light Scattering Changes in the Brain

To accommodate the range of clinical and scientific interests among participants, more than 30 SIG sessions are included in the agenda. More detailed information about these and other program presentations is available on the AES website www.aesnet.org.

About the American Epilepsy Society

The American Epilepsy Society (AES), based in West Hartford, CT, is among the oldest neurological professional organizations in the nation, with roots dating to 1898. AES promotes research and education for professionals dedicated to the prevention, treatment and cure of epilepsy. Society membership is over 3,000 and includes epilepsy clinicians, basic science and clinical investigators, and other health-care professionals interested in seizure disorders

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Information contacts:

Peter Van Haverbeke

AES Public Relations

pvanhaverbeke@aesnet.org

703-927-9639 (cell)

 Natalie Judd

natalie@bigvoicecomm.com

203-605-9515(cell)

203-389-5223

Media Contact:
Peter Vanhaverbeke
Media Relations
703.960.1213 - pvanhaverbeke@aesnet.org