The 2024 American Epilepsy Society Annual Meeting, December 6-10 in Los Angeles, California
by Gaston Baslet, Wesley Kerr, and Chadrick Lane

The AES will once again bring together clinicians and scientists to share updates on the diagnosis, underlying mechanisms, and treatment of seizure disorders.  The AES has long been a champion of furthering our understanding of functional/dissociative seizures, and this annual meeting will again feature multiple sessions on the seizure subtype of FND.

To see a comprehensive list of the many brilliant talks, posters, and committee meetings covering functional/dissociative seizures, please explore the AES’ mobile app linked here.  Though not comprehensive, we have listed several relevant opportunities below.  We hope to see you at AES!

December 6
SIG: Clinical Epilepsy for the Advanced Practice Provider: Filling the Gap in Mental Health Care
6:00 PM
APP-led Treatment of PNEA | Kimberly Ndahayo, DNP, FNP-C, CNRN
APP-led Treatment of PNEA | Nicole Ralston

December 8
Annual Course
Session 1 | Beyond the EEG: Psychogenic Non-epileptic (Functional) Seizures
8:45 AM  Introduction | Heather McKee, MD, FAES
8:50 AM  Patient Perspective | Greg Grunberg
8:55 AM  Lecture: Precision Medicine with Functional Seizures | Selma Aybek Rusca, MD
9:15 AM  Lecture: Intricacies in Management of Children with Functional Seizures | Dara Albert, DO, MEd, FAAN, FAES
9:35 AM  Lecture: Evidence-based Treatment for Functional Seizures | Erica Cotton, PsyD

December 9
SIG: Post-traumatic & Military Epilepsy: Research
6:00 pm
Imaging in Post-traumatic Non-epileptic Seizures | Jerzy Szaflarski, MD, PhD

SIG | Psychogenic Non-epileptic Seizures: Evidence-based Guidelines for the Management of PNES/Functional Seizures
6:00 pm
Introduction | Benjamin Tolchin, MD, MS, FAAN, FAES and Laura Strom, MD, FAES
Introduction to Evidence-based Guidelines for the Management of Functional Seizures | Benjamin Tolchin, MD, MS, FAAN, FAES
Development and Role of Evidence-based Guidelines | Benjamin Tolchin, MD, MS, FAAN, FAES
A Systematic Review of Randomized Trials in the Management of Functional Seizures/PNES | Markus Reuber, MD, PhD, FRCP
Recommendations for the Management of Functional Seizures/PNES | W. Curt LaFrance, MD, MPH, FAAN, FAES
Guideline Feedback and Commentary | Laura Strom, MD, FAES

December 10
SIG: Psychosocial Comorbidities: Psychosocial Burden and Suicidality in Epilepsy
11:30 am
Suicidality in PNES and Mixed Epilepsy/PNES | Gaston Baslet, MD, FAES

Some examples of posters on functional/dissociative seizures during AES meeting
Poster Number: 1.135 Health services utilization after participation in PNES clinic
Poster Number: 1.557 Digitizing Movement for Differentiating EEG-Negative Epileptic Seizures from Non-Epileptic Episodes in an Epilepsy Monitoring Unit (EMU)
Poster Number: 1.565 Normative Modeling of Scalp EEG Features During Wakefulness and Sleep
Poster Number: 2.019 A Comparison of Patients Diagnosed with Psychogenic Non-epileptic Seizures (PNES) or Epilepsy on Alexithymia and Thought Suppression
Poster Number: 2.073 Similar elevated mortality rate in patients with functional seizures, epilepsy, and mixed Poster Number: 2.231 Event characterization in Epilepsy Monitoring Units: Diagnostic Yield and Clinical Impact
Poster Number: 2.142 Diagnostic Yield of Ambulatory versus Inpatient Video EEG in Spell Classification in a Public Safety-Net Hospital in the Central Valley of CA
Poster Number: 2.301 Structural Alterations in People with Functional Seizures
Poster Number: 2.556 Characteristics of patients diagnosed with psychogenic non-epileptic seizures (PNES) who request reinstatement of their driving privileges
Poster Number: 2.561 Sex-Specific Differences and Continued Use of Anti-Seizure Medications in Veterans Diagnosed with Psychogenic Non-Epileptic Seizures
Poster Number: 3.332 Risk Factors and Clinical Manifestations of PNES in Autoimmune Encephalitis
Poster Number: 3.388 Youth and Family Perspectives on Diagnosis Communication about Pediatric Functional Seizures: A Qualitative Study
Poster Number: 3.539 Deep learning-based pose tracking to distinguish the etiology of motor seizure-like events from patient videos

Hybrid Course on Functional/Dissociative Seizures and Epilepsy - In-person and Virtual

Course directors Dr. Barbara Dworetzky and Dr. Mahinda Yogarajah have organized a stellar list of experts in FND, epilepsy, and the intersection of the two for a state-of-the-art exploration of both the fundamentals and recent updates.  Participants will hear from thought leaders on the global scene, diving into mechanistic paradigms, practical approaches, seizure mimics, the role of mental health specialists, neuroimaging, novel perspectives on relevant neurocircuits, and more.

Course title: Functional Seizures and Epilepsy: Cutting Edge Diagnostics, Biology and Management
(ILAE endorsed)
Course Co-Directors: Barbara Dworetzky, MD, Boston, USA; Mahinda Yogarajah, MBBS, PhD, London, UK

Be sure to save the dates June 13–14, 2025, for this hybrid course in Boston, MA, and virtual. Modules will also be available on demand for registrants for a period of time following the course. More details to come on registration – keep an eye out for announcements on the FND Society website.

Target Audience: academic and community-based epileptologists and neurologists (adult and pediatric) and any/all clinicians who see patients with seizure disorders (e.g., emergency physicians, neuropsychiatrists, neuropsychologists/psychologists, social workers, advanced practice providers, fellows, residents, etc.)

An Interview with Gabriele Vilyte
by Chadrick E. Lane, MD

Gabriele Vilyte is a PhD candidate in psychology at Stellenbosch University in South Africa, where she also received her master’s degrees in psychology and clinical epidemiology.  She has published on comorbidities and semiologies in people with functional seizures across private and public healthcare sectors.  Gabriele most recently presented a poster on her remarkable work at the 5th International Conference on FND in Verona, Italy, and has submitted her PhD dissertation.  

READ INTERVIEW

FND Society Journal Club

Thursday, December 5, 2024 at 11:00 am Eastern Time (4:00 pm UTC)
Article: Multifamily Group Psychotherapy for Patients With Nonepileptic Seizures and Their Families

Randi Libbon, MD, is a psychiatrist and serves as the Director of Behavioral Health Services for a multi-disciplinary, group-therapy-based program for NES/FND at the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus since 2017, when this treatment model was first initiated. NES, often with other FND mixed symptoms, is the focus of her research and clinical work. Dr. Libbon is also interested in the many ways trauma presents and affects treatment for patients with FND. She has a large role in training medical students, PA students, NP students, neurology residents, psychiatry residents, and fellows as well as therapists and psychiatrists in the community about treatment for FND.

REGISTER HERE

Thursday, November 7, 2024 at 11:00 am Eastern Time (4:00 pm UTC)
Article: Reflections on the CODES trial for adults with dissociative seizures: what we found and considerations for future studies.

Laura H. Goldstein, PhD, MPhil, FBPsS is now Professor Emerita of Clinical Neuropsychology at the Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience and Honorary Consultant Clinical Neuropsychologist at the Maudsley Hospital, South London & Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust (Neuropsychiatry Department).

Laura is a Fellow of the British Psychological Society and has undertaken internationally recognised research into the neuropsychological and broader psychological consequences of neurological disorders (especially motor neuron disease and epilepsy) and their comorbidities as well as functional neurological disorder.
 
Recently Laura was involved in evaluating psychoeducational and psychological interventions for people with epilepsy and she ran a large NIHR HTA-funded multicentre randomised controlled trial of cognitive behavioural therapy for patients with dissociative (functional) seizures (the CODES Trial).  She has also been involved in NIHR HTA-funded trials studying the use of Acceptance and Commitment Therapy for people with motor neuron disease (the COMMEND trial) and the use of specialist physiotherapy for adults with functional movement disorder (Physio4FMD).
 
Previously, alongside her clinical and research activities, Laura played a major role in the post-qualification training of UK clinical neuropsychologists through leading PG Diploma courses at the Institute of Psychiatry over a 16-year period. Together with Jane McNeil, Laura co-edited two editions of “Clinical Neuropsychology. A Practical Guide to Assessment and Management for Clinicians” (2nd edition 2013; Wiley) as well The Clinical Psychologist's Handbook of Epilepsy: Assessment and Management, Routledge Press (1997) which she co-edited with Christine Cull.
 
Laura is a Founding Member of the FNDS and is involved in international projects to develop treatment guidelines for people with functional neurological disorder. She was awarded the 2021 Barbara Wilson Lifetime Achievement Award by the British Psychological Society’s Division of Neuropsychology.

REGISTER HERE