Place Your Advertisement Here
All ad revenues support the mission of the Epilepsy Therapy Project
 
UPDATED: Sun, 10/21/2007 - 9:37pm

  • Epilepsy First Aid
  • Seizure Medication
  • Videos
  • Seizure Diary
  • Find a Doctor
  • Epilepsy Centers
  • Clinical Trials
  • Event Calendar

Place Your Advertisement Here
All ad revenues support the mission
of the Epilepsy Therapy Project

Epilepsia Abstracts

Epilepsia is the journal of the International League Against Epilepsy and one of the world’s leading, most authoritative sources for current clinical and research results on all aspects of epilepsy (http://www.epilepsia.com/)


Editor’s Note on Initiation of Lay Abstracts

This April 2005 issue of Epilepsia represents the start of a journalistic experiment, in which we publish lay abstracts of articles in the issue.  We define a lay abstract as a summary written in language suitable for the public.  Those involved in writing for journals, reading journals and paying for the research that is described in journals increasingly recognize that important work should be available to the public.  The Internet provides the public with access to massive amounts of information, but much of it is not understandable to them and most of it is not subject to expert quality control.  In its small way, Epilepsia hopes to address these limitations.

When a manuscript is accepted for Epilepsia, the authors are asked to submit a lay abstract. This process is itself a challenge.  Many doctors and scientists have intrinsic difficulties with avoidance of technical terms and jargon. For example, few in the public understand the meaning of the phrases "lesion" or "in vitro hippocampal slice". In addition, researchers are trained to be highly focused, specific, conservative with extension of interpretations beyond the immediate data set, and to avoid speculation.  These attributes are indeed key for successful scientific publications, but tend to leave the lay public bewildered. The public requires more global context-setting by way of introduction and greater degrees of help with drawing a conclusion.  Initial experience suggests that lay abstracts require at least as much editorial input as do ordinary abstracts and articles.

We made a decision to include a lay abstract for every publication, based on the assumption that every piece of work, no matter how technical, would generate interest in some segment of the world's vast population.  This approach is similar to that of the United States National Institutes of Health, which requires lay abstracts for its grants.  After this first issue, all published articles will have lay abstracts, but the process was initiated in the middle of arranging this particular month’s issue. The journal Neurology, publishes lay summaries selectively, and in more depth than a one-paragraph abstract.  The precise method used to make information available to the public probably is less important than the commitment to do so at all.

Lay abstracts will be available as part of the article on the Blackwell Synergy web site (http://www.blackwell-synergy.com). They will be available to PubMed and Medline at the discretion of those services.  Abstracts also will be posted on the web site of the International League Against Epilepsy (http://www.ilae.org and http://www.epilepsia.com), representing the international voices of professionals who care for people with epilepsy, and of the organization that owns Epilepsia.  We hope this experiment succeeds, and welcome your feedback.

Robert S. Fisher, M.D., Ph.D.
Immediate Past Editor-in-Chief, Epilepsia


Welcome to the Wiki. This space is created for epilepsy.com members to share their own experiences and expertise to help refine and expand the discussion around important topics.

No members have yet contributed to this topic. If you are not yet an epilepsy.com member, register today to get started on this Wiki topic and the many other advantages of being a member. If you are a member and wish to be the first to edit this Wiki topic, please make sure to login, then click on the orange "Start Wiki" button at the top of this page. Or, learn more about Wikis.


Turn the page on your treatment by starting your Epilepsy Diary today.

Keeping a daily record of your seizures can help you and your doctor better understand and treat your epilepsy.

Open my epiCom Diary

Title Posted
Simple Partials Seizures-What Are Yours Like & Duration?  
Maria7
Might Calcium Disorders Cause Seizures?  
Nerak95
A Scary Doctor  
snoodle
Might Calcium disorders Cause Seizures?  
Nerak95
Topamax,Keppra causing liver damage?!  
baubua24
Ecstatic Seizures  
victoria.w
Embarrassed  
kyrissa
8 year old with rolandic epilepsy  
robin510
Vitamin B6  
eanj
I Have Epilepsy and I Hate My Life...  
1nevermore
View all Forums

Title Page Views
my.epilepsy.com Updates  
epi_help
topamax and weight loss  
alexia mom
kepra  
brian mattingly
Possible cure for absence seizures  
pdl1
Epilepsy and marijuana  
cjad234
Sexual Side Effects  
George R
How exactly do aura's feel  
WendyBendy
MEDICAL ALERT I.D.'s  
picnupthepcs
Over 40 Different Types Of Seizures - Revised  
spiz
electrical shock in head?  
Maggie
View all Forums

Title Posted
Heck of a day  
4mygirl2
The Last Voice  
cindy thacher
Ugg boots  
shirts
UGG lays its charm  
shirts
UGG lays its charm  
shirts
29 years old, had seizures since I was 8.  
dkalra
Stroll for Epilepsy Awareness  
bookworm03
Epilepsy Advocacy  
krjohnson
Hello Again, catching up!  
chandagunn
PowerPoint to Youtube  
dwightgenius
View all Blogs

Title Page Views
Inspirational Quote - My Own Personal Inner Thoughts  
Butterflygrl
my partial complex seizures  
Zanna1211
Topomax... The Dreaded.........  
Dr Jason
Brain Zaps, tics & twitches  
JudiS
side effects of phenobarb.  
pksmom
Feeling Sick  
JBJ1984
How can you tell if a sleep seizure happens?  
epl_controller
Tegretol XR and ANXIETY meds  
Butterflygrl
TYLENOL, AEDs & SEIZURES  
cmscribbles
Nonepileptic "Events" vs. "Seizures"  
teft
View all Blogs

Title Posted
Project Uplift  
tamliniscute
SEIZURE FREE  
gracie9933
EPILEPSY SUPPORT GROUP NORTH CAROLINA  
Roxanne D
Community Feedback on Proposed New epilepsy.com Feature  
kdredske
Parent with Child with Epilepsy,Dystonia, and Autism  
TashaCole
RX outreach Program  
mw
Fun and Games  
phylisfjohnson
Epilepsy and Memory Loss??  
lindseygthatsme
Epileptic Postictal Psychosis  
Bravedefender
Northern California Volunteers  
cannemo73
View all Groups

Title Posted
My Mother suffers from absence seizures  
baubua24
My Meningioma Story  
Maria7
My First time  
SteveDaw
My Epilepsy  
amberbrady5384
The crazy spiritual journey that is a seizure.  
zeus1223
29 years old; epilepsy since I was 8.  
dkalra
my experience with epilepsy  
Sabia
Family with Epilepsy  
thunley
My Story Of How I Was Diagnosed With Epilepsy.  
bass_babyx
Lorrelei71  
Lorrelei71
View all Stories

Place Your Advertisement Here
All ad revenues support the mission
of the Epilepsy Therapy Project