Epilepsy Information

What is Epilepsy? Epilepsy is a medical condition that produces seizures affecting a variety of mental and physical functions. It is also called a seizure disorder. When a person has two or more seizures, they are considered to have epilepsy. A seizure happens when a brief, strong surge of electrical activity affects part or all of the brain. One in 10 adults will have a seizure sometime during their life. Seizures can last from a few seconds to a few minutes. They can have many symptoms, from convulsions and loss of consciousness to some that are not always recognized as seizures by the person experiencing them or by health care professionals: blank staring, lip smacking, or jerking movements of arms and legs. Types of Seizures There are many different types of seizures. People may experience just one type or more than one. The kind of seizure a person has depends on which part and how much of the brain is affected by the electrical disturbance that produces seizures. Experts divide seizures into generalized seizures (absence, atonic, tonic-clonic, myoclonic), partial (simple and complex) seizures, nonepileptic seizures and status epilepticus. Causes of Epilepsy Seizures are symptoms of abnormal brain function. With the exception [...]

The concept of the IBE Solidarity Fund was introduced in recent years by Philip Lee, Immediate Past President, who saw it as a means of supporting IBE Members in developing countries, to enable them play an active role in IBE’s activities, where lack of available funds would otherwise have prevented this. The fund is now also used to support the annual dues payments of members in countries deemed to be Low Income according to World Bank figures. Since 2007 the fund was also used to support the Promising Strategy Projects. All donations to the fund are gratefully accepted, no matter how small, and are acknowledged in the IE News. IBE would like to thank the following, who donated to the fund. Solidarity Fund Donations in 2012: China Assocation Against Epilepsy, China Indian Epilepsy Association, India Caritas – Malta Epilepsy Association. Malta Epilepsy Association of South Australia and the Northern Territory Inc, Australia Epilepsy Hospital Bethel, Japan Epilepsy Queensland Inc., Australia Japanese Epilepsy Association, Japan Epilepsy & Environment Association of Georgia, Georgia Solidarity Fund Donations in 2011: Epilepsy Connections, Scotland Epilepsy Action Australia Indian Epilepsy Association, India Caritas – Malta Epilepsy Association Slovenian League Against Epilepsy Swiss Epilepsy Centre ParEpi, Switzerland Epilepsy [...]

1997-2001 President: Mr. P. Lee, England (from August 1999) Mr. R. Holmes, Ireland (until August 1999) Past-President: Mrs. H.M. de Boer, the Netherlands Treasurer: Mr. J.K. Falk-Pedersen, Norway Secretary General: Dr. M.D. Hills, New Zealand Vice-Presidents: Mrs. J. Cochrane, Scotland Prof E. Cavalheiro, Brazil Dr. C.C. Park, South Korea Editor I.E. News: Dr. R. Kale, India ILAE President: Prof. J. Engel Jr., USA ILAE Secretary General: Prof. P. Wolf, Germany ILAE Treasurer: Prof. G. Avanzini, Italy