Tumor associated epilepsy: Dr. Katie Peters

Send comments and feedback In this episode of Sharp Waves, host Nancy welcomes renowned neurologist and neuro-oncologist Dr. Katie Peters from the Preston Robert Tisch Brain Tumor Center to discuss the important connection between brain tumors and epilepsy. Dr. Peters shares her expertise on how brain tumors can contribute to seizure disorders, the challenges patients face, and the latest approaches to diagnosis, treatment, and care. Whether you're a healthcare professional, patient, caregiver, or simply interested in neuroscience, this insightful conversation offers valuable perspectives on navigating these complex neurological conditions. Tune in for an engaging discussion with one of the field's leading experts.  Sharp Waves episodes are meant for informational purposes only, and not as clinical or medical advice.Let us know how we're doing:  [email protected] International League Against Epilepsy is the world's preeminent association of health professionals and scientists, working toward a world where no person's life is limited by epilepsy. Visit us on Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn.

Send comments and feedbackIn this Sharp Waves podcast episode “Epilepsy and Functional/Dissociative Seizures,” Wesley Kerr, MD, PhD, a statistician and epileptologist at University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, joins Shruti Iyer, MD, a third year neurology resident at University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, to discuss their recently published study on categorizing the probability of epilepsy in patients already diagnosed with functional dissociative seizures (FDS). The conversation highlights how this proposed framework may help clinicians better identify patients who could have coexisting epilepsy and improve diagnostic accuracy and treatment planning. The episode also notes that functional dissociative seizures were previously, and in some settings are still, referred to as psychogenic non epileptic seizures (PNES).You can access the research article here. Sharp Waves episodes are meant for informational purposes only, and not as clinical or medical advice.Let us know how we're doing:  [email protected] International League Against Epilepsy is the world's preeminent association of health professionals and scientists, working toward a world where no person's life is limited by epilepsy. Visit us on Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn.

Send comments and feedbackNearly one-third of people with autism also have epilepsy. Researchers aren't sure why. For people on the spectrum, epilepsy can prompt unique challenges. Seizure symptoms can be misinterpreted as common autistic behaviors. Treatment may also be difficult due to the stress of a clinical setting, or the impact of anti-seizure medications on autism symptoms. Currently, some experts argue that there is a lack of research in assessing these care pathways.  To learn more about diagnosis and treatment for people with autism and epilepsy, Joy Mazur spoke to Dr. Colin Reilly and Dr. Stéphane Auvin.Related studies/links:Epilepsy in patients with autism: links, risks and treatment challenges Besag FMC, et al., 2017Neurobehavioral Comorbidities in Children with Active Epilepsy: A Population-Based Study Reilly C, et al., 2014Traditional and non-traditional treatments for autism spectrum disorder with seizures: an on-line survey Frye RE, et al., 2011Epilepsy and autism - National Autistic Society Sharp Waves episodes are meant for informational purposes only, and not as clinical or medical advice.Let us know how we're doing:  [email protected] International League Against Epilepsy is the world's preeminent association of health professionals and scientists, working toward a world where no person's life is limited by epilepsy. Visit us on Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn.

Send comments and feedbackWhat is autoimmune-associated epilepsy, and how is it different from acute seizures with an autoimmune cause? How can clinicians best diagnose and treat these conditions? Sharp Waves reporter Dr. Maryam Nabavi-Nouri spoke with Dr. Claude Steriade.Claude Steriade, MD, CM is originally from Quebec City, Canada. She completed medical school at McGill University in Montreal, followed by an adult neurology residency at the University of Toronto. Dr. Steriade then completed a two-year epilepsy fellowship at the Cleveland Clinic before joining the epilepsy center at New York University. Relevant articles:Acute symptomatic seizures secondary to autoimmune encephalitis and autoimmune-associated epilepsy: Conceptual definitionsDiscerning the Role of Autoimmunity and Autoantibodies in Epilepsy: A Review --This episode was reported by Dr. Maryam Nabavi-Nouri, and edited and produced by Nancy Volkers. Sharp Waves episodes are meant for informational purposes only, and not as clinical or medical advice.Let us know how we're doing:  [email protected] International League Against Epilepsy is the world's preeminent association of health professionals and scientists, working toward a world where no person's life is limited by epilepsy. Visit us on Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn.

Send comments and feedbackBidirectional links between epilepsy and sleep have been known for thousands of years. Despite nearly a century of research using EEG investigations, the relationships are still not well understood.Dr. Laurent Sheybani interviewed Dr. Birgit Frauscher, an epileptologist and sleep specialist at the Montreal Neurological Institute. They discussed what is known about sleep patterns, how sleep may influence epileptic activity and vice versa, and how sleep research may lead to more effective epilepsy treatments.Studies mentioned in the interview include:Interictal Hippocampal Spiking Influences the Occurrence of Hippocampal Sleep Spindles (Frauscher et al., 2015, Sleep)Focal epilepsy disrupts spindle structure and function (Schiller et al., 2022, Nature Scientific Reports)Origin and significance of the cyclic alternating pattern: Review article (Terzano & Parrino, 2000, Sleep Medicine Reviews)SleepSEEG: automatic sleep scoring using intracranial EEG recordings only (von Ellenrieder et al., 2022, J. Neural Eng.)Recurrent Hippocampo-neocortical sleep-state divergence in humans (Guthrie et al., 2022, PNAS)Scalp spindles are associated with widespread intracranial activity with unexpectedly low synchrony (Frauscher et al., 2015, Neuroimage) Sharp Waves episodes are meant for informational purposes only, and not as clinical or medical advice.Let us know how we're doing:  [email protected] International League Against Epilepsy is the world's preeminent association of health professionals and scientists, working toward a world where no person's life is limited by epilepsy. Visit us on Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn.

Send comments and feedbackSeizure action plans can help people with epilepsy manage their seizures and address emergencies. They often are aimed at a subset of people with epilepsy, particularly children. Dr. Lucretia Long discusses how seizure action plans can be used to engage and educate all people with epilepsy, as well as their families and the larger community.Seizure action plan examples: English, Spanish, Simplified Chinese, Korean, Tagalog, Ukrainian, VietnameseOnline fillable seizure action plan - English (PDF)Plan de acción de incautación en línea  - espanol (PDF)List of published research on seizure action plans Sharp Waves episodes are meant for informational purposes only, and not as clinical or medical advice.Let us know how we're doing:  [email protected] International League Against Epilepsy is the world's preeminent association of health professionals and scientists, working toward a world where no person's life is limited by epilepsy. Visit us on Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn.

Send comments and feedbackWe discuss the response to the updated classification of seizures with Prof. Eugen Trinka, including why the changes were made and how the changes are being explained and socialized.  Sharp Waves episodes are meant for informational purposes only, and not as clinical or medical advice.Let us know how we're doing:  [email protected] International League Against Epilepsy is the world's preeminent association of health professionals and scientists, working toward a world where no person's life is limited by epilepsy. Visit us on Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn.

Send comments and feedbackCelebrating International Epilepsy Day (Feb 9) with an episode of strength and hope! Jessie Nyirenda's seizures went undiagnosed for years. She was told she was misbehaving, possessed, and bewitched. She finally diagnosed herself after reading about epilepsy in a library. Taking anti-seizure medication and joining an epilepsy support group changed Jessie's life and made her realize she was no different from anyone else. Now a mother of three and a banking sector specialist, Jessie is active in epilepsy advocacy.IBE toolkit for reducing stigma in Africa Sharp Waves episodes are meant for informational purposes only, and not as clinical or medical advice.Let us know how we're doing:  [email protected] International League Against Epilepsy is the world's preeminent association of health professionals and scientists, working toward a world where no person's life is limited by epilepsy. Visit us on Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn.

Send comments and feedbackA network of more than 60 expert epilepsy teams across Europe: That's EpiCARE. The network aims to improve care for rare and complex epilepsies and reduce inequalities in access to the best diagnostic and treatment practices and investigational tools. Sharp Waves talked to EpiCARE coordinator Dr. Alexis Arzimanoglou about what EpiCARE is, what it isn't, and how it may contribute to changes in epilepsy care across the region and beyond.For more information:EpiCARE websiteEpiCARE on Instagram (@ern_epicare)EpiCARE webinarsPatient and caregiver resourcesEpiCARE position paper: Areas of research priorities in epilepsy (Epilepsia Open, Jan 2026)The Declaration on the European Innovation and Care Ecosystem for Rare and Complex Diseases (Dec 2025) Sharp Waves episodes are meant for informational purposes only, and not as clinical or medical advice.Let us know how we're doing:  [email protected] International League Against Epilepsy is the world's preeminent association of health professionals and scientists, working toward a world where no person's life is limited by epilepsy. Visit us on Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn.

Send comments and feedbackAbout 1 in 5 people with an intellectual disability (ID) also have epilepsy; among those with profound ID, 1 in 2 also will have epilepsy. In general, people with an ID have higher mortality rates and more chronic conditions than people without an ID; they also face significant health care disparities. Researchers interviewed people with both epilepsy and an ID to understand what they knew about their epilepsy, how they accessed care, and what epilepsy-related information they wanted to have. Sharp Waves episodes are meant for informational purposes only, and not as clinical or medical advice.Let us know how we're doing:  [email protected] International League Against Epilepsy is the world's preeminent association of health professionals and scientists, working toward a world where no person's life is limited by epilepsy. Visit us on Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn.