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Mission
This epilepsy sites navigator was created to serve those people affected by seizures through support, encouragement
and education in order to provide them with a positive quality of life. This site was created by a person with epilepsy and
the VNS implant who is offering knowledge, real life experiences and support for persons with epilepsy and for friends
& family members of those with epilepsy and seizure disorders. It is hoped that the sites within this webpage shall
offer information to whatever one's epilepsy needs.
EPILEPSY FOUNDATION OF AMERICA
4351 Garden City Drive
Landover, MD 20785-7223
(800) 332-1000
The EFA is an excellent resource tool
regarding research, advocacy, local affiliate groups, daily chat rooms, links to other sites and so much more.
For those folks interested in participating in a daily
chat session (people with epilepsy, parents with parents, teens, seniors, friends, etc.) EFA offers daily chat sessions at 8:00pm EST, 7:00pm CST, 5:00pm PST, click on the link below:
Click on the Capital to learn more about six term congressman Tony Coelho, the
primary author and sponsor of the ADA & chair of the EFA Board of Directors.
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Click to the left to enter BrainTalk site's epilepsy chat room
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Click below to enter a site where you can veiw the definition of multitudes of seizure
types & a wealth of other useful info
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AMERICAN EPILEPSY SOCIETY
AES promotes research and education for the professionals
dedicated to the prevention, treatment and cure of epilepsy.
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EPILEPSY CANADA
offers useful information such as types of seizures,
myths & misperceptions about epilepsy, a historical perspective and other tidbits.
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To find out the definition of epilepsy, its causes, its risk factors, its symptoms, its diagnosis and so much more, click on the site link to the right.
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Click on the WebMD icon to find a wealth of info on epilepsy
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Find out more about Seizure Alert Dogs and
what they can do.
Dog dials 911 to save owner. Click on the picture to find out more information.
Paws with a Cause is the largest provider of Service Dogs
trained to deal with seizure disorders. Click on the icon above to find out more information.
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Click on the happy driver to find out how long
you must be seizure free in your state before you can drive again
Click to the right to find out about menstrual
related seizures
Find out here what your rights are in the work place
CYBERONICS
Click on the link to the left
to find out more about VNS implants
VNS
offers hope for epileptics
The VNS has been tested by neurologists and may offer an alternative
for controlling seizures in epileptics for whom drugs or surgery have proven inadequate.
The vagus nerve stimulator, as the device is
called, has yielded promising results in early clinical tests determining its ability to control seizures.
"So far 40 percent of the patients receiving vagus
nerve stimulation have had a 50 percent reduction in seizures, or better," reports Christopher DeGiorgio, associate
professor of neurology and neurosurgery, who heads the Epilepsy Program here.
The stimulator, or pacemaker, consists of a
tiny pair of electrodes which are implanted onto the vagus nerve in the region of the neck, and connected to a programmable
generator which is implanted under the skin in the left upper chest.
The surgery to install the device takes a few hours and patients are usually
able to return home in a day.
Other than thin scars on the neck and chest, and a periodic hoarsening
of the voice when the stimulator turns on, patients bear no external signs of having received the implant.
Designed to stimulate the nerve at set intervals of time, the pacemaker
can also be turned on externally by holding a simple magnet over the chest.
The electrodes work by stimulating the vagus nerve, a sensory and motor
originating in the brain stem that enervates a number of organs including the heart, lungs, larynx, vocal cords, stomach,
tongue and ears.
This stimulation in turn, appears to regulate the onset of seizures. "The
cellular mechanisms underlying the effect is still under investigation," said DeGiorgio.
"An epileptic seizure is caused by an abnormal electrical discharge in
the brain," he explained. "We think that stimulating the vagus nerve may abort seizures by activating inhibitory pathways
in the brain. PET studies here at USC show that vagus nerve stimulation activates the thalamus and cerebellum. Inhibitory
pathways may project from these areas to the surface of the brain [cortex] which is where seizures originate.
"To us the vagus nerve is like a freeway which gives us a direct route
into the brain without having to open it up," he remarked.
The original idea for this approach came from experiments conducted by
UCLA neuroscientist Michael Chase about 30 years ago who found that stimulating the vagus nerve in animal models changed the
brain waves. The smaller faster pattern obtained correlated with an anti-convulsive effect, DeGiorgio added.
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| The FDA's stamp of approval on the VNS |
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| Possible Adverse Effects From the VNS |
Click below to enter
a VNS message board
The RNS, unlike the VNS is implanted in the
skull & the electrodes within the brain. It picks up on seizure activity and then goes off by itself.
Allow the folks at the American Academy of Neurology
tell you everything you wanted to know about many different brain disorders, their symptoms, their treatments and how to live
with a brain disorder
The Invisibilities Advocate is here
to offer you both inspiration as well as a wealth of information to uplift and encourage you
Let Epilepsy Toronto tell you all about your nutrition, exercise,
memory, meds & much more and how they are affected by epilepsy
Click here to find out more about Deep Brain Stimulation
Click on the brain to the left to join a brain injury ring
Whether it's epilepsy or any other chronic illness, here are some tips on who to tell, what your employer needs to
know, and what people should do in case of an emergency.
Take a peek at the 5 most important tech advancements that have allowed us
to look into the structure and function of the living brain.
So what can you do if you have tried every AED cocktail
under the sun without success? Click on the first aid box to find out just a few ideas.
Click on the glowing brain to find out more about clinical trials around the U.S. regarding epilepsy.
Click on the swimmer to the right to watch a video and to learn more about epilepsy
& water safety.
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