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

Greece

Autonomic symptoms frequently occur during epileptic seizures, not as a reaction to motor manifestations, but by activation of central autonomic networks. Among the autonomic symptoms (cardiovascular, respiratory, gastrointestinal, cutaneous, papillary, genital, sexual, and urinary) cardiorespiratory arrest and ictal syncope can lead to serious complications such as sudden unexplained death (SUDEP). In children autonomic symptoms are the most common manifestation in Panayiotopoulos syndrome (81%)(Panayiotopoulos 2004) and temporal lobe epilepsy.

As a child neurologist with a special interest in epilepsy I see a large number of children and their parents. I am faced with numerous questions relating to the fears the parents have regarding the possibility of losing their child from an epileptic seizure. These fears are proportional to previous seizure experience and are increased by the outdoors activities of their children, nocturnal seizures, and irregular parental working hours resulting in inadequate care. Even though children with epilepsy have an increased risk of death, SUDEP is very rare. In the majority of children mortality is due to the underlying neurological disorder, not the seizures. All parents and children who are able to read are supplied with written information explaining epilepsy facts, care, the treatment of an acute seizure (rectal diazepam), and early identification of an epileptic event, particularly during sleep (alarms).

In treatment, care must be taken to avoid misdiagnosing cardiac dysfunction as epilepsy. Special attention is required for those children with medically resistant epilepsy, polypharmacy, and long lasting autonomic status.

Although SUDEP is discussed among professionals in different meetings, the issue is rarely discussed with the parents except with those seeking the information. Conversely, disclosure, in the absence of the patient seeking the information, may causally adversely affect quality of life of the family and the child by increasing overprotection and anxiety levels. This can in turn lead to behavioural problems, low self-esteem, poor self-image, long lasting dependency, and a negative personality.

The office of the Greek association is hosted within the quarters of the neurology department, adjacent to a very large epilepsy clinic where discussions with all those caring for these patients take place daily. Undue fears are not provoked unless questions are specifically asked and detailed professional answers are given based on medical facts.

Knowledge about SUDEP remains limited. However, understanding the pathophysiology of the autonomic symptoms may help us to understand the mechanisms underlying SUDEP.

Athanasios Covanis
Head Neurology Department
The Childrens Hospital ‘Agia Sophia’Greece
President, The Greek Association Against Epilepsy



Reprinted with the permission of Epilepsy Australia-the national coalition of Australia epilepsy associations and Epilepsy Bereaved UK.


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
Faked seizures  
dfarrell
I Have Epilepsy and I Hate My Life...  
1nevermore
Food-Triggered Siezures  
uberzwitter
Temporal lobe surgery  
a_mkelly2000
Can exercise induce seizures?  
MichaelK
terrified to get pregnant  
linzysmith323
Epilepsy triggers?  
Black.Pearl
The Reasons not to consume alcohol or smoke marijuana if you have epilepsy  
LaurenG1211
Do seizures change characteristics over time?  
Amazon
Gardasil, car accident, stress, PTSD, seizures?  
sparkbird
View all Forums

Title Posted
HAVE YOU BEEN INJURED, OR KNOW SOMEONE WHO'S DIED FROM "VNS"  
nancyjudy
vns therapy side effects  
helenpe1
Is it typical for an epileptic person to pace constantly or have sudden rushes of energy making you want to run?  
Concordia
Epileptologist in DFW?  
dhemphill
How long is open trileptal suspension bottle good for?  
Sholow
Can we have white chocolate?  
lilcrumb3
Keppra and depression  
jennysomers
AFTER SURGERY-IS THAT FEELING A SEIZURE???????  
gregg9130
Frontal Lobe Epilepsy  
Jesscottwvwv
seizure recovery...  
jubatum
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
This Isn't Ebay Folks!!!!!!!!!  
banffgirl
Well he has arrived!  
SassyMindy
BEEN A LONG.........PROBABLY A LONG PURGING BLOG COMING........I'M BEING FOLLOWED BY A MOONSHADOW....  
ROCKNROLL
A Year Since Surgery  
SassyMindy
Ohhhhh Baby!  
1sassyhelper
Drum Roll.....  
crashllama
Find insurance for Epilepsy  
mandasuewilson
AS THE DRUG COMPANY TURNS - THE SOAP OPERA  
banffgirl
Changing seizures..very scary  
r_mommy2
Quitting medication after brain operation  
karl34
View all Blogs

Title Posted
Diamond jewelry  
tiffanyblog
Depression and Epilepsy  
MichaelK
What a day!  
epi_help
Results with my Neurologist, med changes and life changes  
Gina Marie
i broke his ankle...  
jacky99
Sleep deprivation EEG  
freedbythewind
TYLENOL, AEDs & SEIZURES  
cmscribbles
Links of London jewelry  
tiffanyblog
A novice writer needs YOUR help!  
ACSutliff
Heck of a day  
4mygirl2
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
support group for individuals w/ epilepsy  
sunstarr_429
Epilepsy and Movies  
wendyspazzez
Epilepsy and Memory Loss??  
lindseygthatsme
EPILEPSY SUPPORT GROUP NORTH CAROLINA  
Roxanne D
View all Groups

Title Posted
Grandparents of grandchildren with Epilepsy  
EmiliesGrandma
neeraj clinic, rishikesh,india  
ankita gupta
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
View all Groups

Title Posted
36 years epilepsy and seizure free so far after op.  
karl34
giving humans another try ;)  
bookworm03
growning up  
geenie
Epilepsy and other goodies  
LIZARD66
Absent Memories  
BekiP
Journey of Epilepsy  
Jensey84
Silent Traumatic Epilepsy as a result of a subarachnoid hemorrhage  
lonepearl
Our son Shawn Orkis.  
Ron. Orkis
Epilepsy and my daughter  
dmeitzen
Temporal lobe epilepsy  
dawnieb82
View all Stories

Title Posted
WHY???????????????????????  
marymm
Ugg Bailey Button Boots–Your Winter Footwear  
lovetiffany
Ceremony to welcome President Hu Jintao to the country, accompanied by up to 200 people Barack Obama Barack Obama  
nicky001
Ten best sale cell phones(one) in Otc:A2688 TV cell phone  
agoodseller
new roads to travel  
Marsha Cash
febrile seizures  
febrileseizures
6 months post brain surgery  
robin4902
James Rowell  
jamesrowell
Police Officer with Epilepsy  
Rob Jamieson
So Wonderful of Using a Video Baby Monitor  
buyairshoe
View all Stories

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