[Info] Controversies in Neurology

[Bernard]

Dr. Raimund Wieser contacted me to share some of the presentations his conference produced. Looks interesting. I was not aware this conference existed:

The 4th World Congress on Controversies in Neurology (CONy)

A Comprehensive Congress Fully Devoted to Clinical Debates and Controversial Issues in a Wide Spectrum of Neurological Conditions

Video presentations available here: http://www.informed-scientist.org/co...neurology-cony

Some topics covered:

• Should hormonal therapy be used to treat epilepsy?
• Should recently approved anti-epileptic drugs be used early in the treatment of epilepsy?
• Should patients with epilepsy who are depressed be routinely treated with antidepressant medication (ADM) or vagus nerve stimulation (VNS)?

I wonder if future topics might address what the magic threshold is for accepting neurofeedback as a mainstream treatment option for epilepsy.

[Nakamova]

I'm with you on the neurofeedback one. Any chance you could send some strong hints to Dr. Wieser?

[Meetz1064]

DOES need to receive some strong hints about the neurofeedback.

I'm interested though in the topics mentioned that were covered. I will have to look at the presentations in a bit, when I have a little more time. I am most curious about the last one.

[Bernard]

I did respond to Dr. Wieser via email and he answered back. He says he will forward my suggestion to the conference organizer.

[Minkels]

Hormonal treatments might be useful in catamenial epilepsy...I would be willing to try it, since my seizures seem to cluster around certain times of the month. If hormones could help control the seizures, then maybe I could get off some of these meds or at least lower the doses. I'm all for this idea...bring it on.

Recently approved epilepsy drugs are a bit more controversial since there are so many wild cards with them. As long as there is informed consent, I personally wouldn't have a problem using them, especially if one was developed that in clinical trials had a low incidence of cognitive side effects, sexual dysfunction, and tiredness.

Neurofeedback and other alternative therapies definitely need to be further studied and if found effective should be integrated into treatment plans.

Since depression and epilepsy seem to commonly go together, I think there needs to be more awareness on the part of practioners who treat epilepsy on the use of anti-depressant medications as an optional part of the treatment plan. I'm not personally comfortable with the ideal of VNS, but it could also be presented as an option to patients who are suffering from depression and are not comfortable taking antidepressants or should not take them due to other health conditions.

Anyhow, thanks for the interesting link and that's my two cents' worth...