Epilepsy is one of the most common neurological disorders affecting approximately 1% of the world's population. While seizures can be controlled through the use of one or more antiepileptic drugs (AEDs) in approximately 64% of these patients, approximately 36% or 20 million patients continue to have seizures on multiple AEDs. Epilepsy surgery is an option suitable for approximately 8% of patients with intractable epilepsy. Epilepsy surgery is an expensive option, though, requiring a highly specialized team, specialized monitoring and extensive use of imaging. In the USA, the annual cost of epilepsy care is USD 12 billion, most of which is due to intractable epilepsy. The unpredictability of seizures is one of the most debilitating aspects of epilepsy, strongly impacting patient safety and quality of life. In the past 20 years, and particularly in the past 6 years, an international interdisciplinary effort involving engineers, physicists, mathematicians, epileptologists, neurosurgeons and neuroscientists (the International Seizure Prediction Group) has sought to define a preseizure period. The goals of this effort are twofold. The first goal is to detect the preseizure period in real-time and intervene to abort an impending seizure. The second goal is to understand the pre-seizure period and in so doing better understand seizure generation. This group's meetings alternate between the USA and Europe in an effort to facilitate and encourage participation of as many interested scientists as possible, an approach that is likely to increase the probability of success. This application seeks support for 24 investigators from the USA working on automated seizure prediction, control, and mechanisms of generation to participate in the Third International Workshop on Seizure Prediction. The workshop will be held in Freiburg, Germany over 4 days from September 29th to October 2nd, 2007. The workshop will be centered on a seizure prediction competition, will involve basic neuroscientists in an effort to expand the field into mechanism-focused research and will involve experts working on the prediction of complex phenomenon such as weather. Investigators whose participation will be supported will include invited speakers, junior and senior investigators including women and racial and ethnic minorities. The Third International Workshop on Seizure Prediction will be convened in Freiburg, Germany over four days from September 29th to October 2nd, 2007. This scientific meeting will be attended by international experts working in the fields of seizure prediction, seizure generation, and seizure control. Selected individuals working on the prediction of complex phenomena such as weather will also be invited to share their knowledge and experience. The fields of seizure prediction, seizure generation and seizure control are important for two reasons. First, they offer the promise of better control of seizures by predicting a seizure and intervening to abort the impending seizure before it starts. Second, progress in these fields offers the promise of a better understanding of how seizures are generated. This application seeks support for 24 investigators from the USA to attend the meeting. Investigators whose participation will be supported will be invited speakers and junior and senior investigators including women and racial and ethnic minorities. ? ? ?
