Treatment Risks Associated With Anti-Seizure Medications (ASMs)
Sponsored by Sponsored by INS Epilepsy Special Interest Group
Summary Abstract:
Successful treatment of epilepsy is typically achieved with anti-seizure medications (ASMs). While all ASMs are associated with some risk of cognitive and behavioral side effects, ASM treatment effects are often modifiable through dose adjustment or by changing specific medications. Patients with more difficult to control seizures often have fewer ASM options since the first goal of medical therapy is to successfully control seizure frequency, and this is often achieved only through polytherapy that is associated with greater neuropsychological risk. Children born to women with epilepsy have developmental risks associated with in utero ASM exposure. This workshop will survey the cognitive and behavior risks associated with the most commonly used ASM to treat epilepsy in both children and adults, characterize the developmental risks of in utero ASM exposure, and identify important gaps in our knowledge including methodological limitations that confound cognitive outcomes with non-randomized treatment assignment.
Number of Credit Hours: 1.5
Level of Instruction: Introductory
Learning Objectives:
1. Identify ASMs with greater cognitive risks and ASMs with lower cognitive risks
2. Identify ASMs with greater behavioral risk and ASMs with lower behavioral risks
3. Identify ASMs with greatest/least established in utero exposure risks
Presenter(s):
David W. Loring, PhD
Department of Neurology, Emory University
David Loring is Professor of Neurology and Pediatrics at Emory University where he also serves as the Neurology Department’s Neuropsychology Program Director. His research career has focused on the application of neuropsychological principles to better demonstrate pharmacologic, surgical, and neuromodulatory outcomes as critical components characterizing overall epilepsy treatment effectiveness. He has also played an active role in advancing improved awareness of epilepsy by serving on multiple committees of the Epilepsy Foundation and the American Epilepsy Society. Dr. Loring is presently an Associate Editor for EPILEPSIA, the official journal of the International League Against Epilepsy, and is responsible for managing a wide spectrum of manuscripts addressing epilepsy related behavioral co-morbidities. In addition to being an active researcher investigating the cognitive and behavioral side effects of anti-seizure medications (ASMs) for over three decades, Dr. Loring’s current ASM research includes studying the neurodevelopment effects of in utero ASM exposure in women with epilepsy.
