Art and Epilepsy Conference

In November 2010, the University Hospitals of Geneva in Switzerland held a conference that shared basic facts about epilepsy along with readings and music highlighting artists who lived with epilepsy. By highlighting these artists, the conference hopes people living with epilepsy will feel less alone. The goal of the conference was to bring epilepsy out of the shadows and end fear and misunderstanding about the condition.

Conducted in French, a video (shown above) of the conference speaker, neurologist Dr. Fabienne Picard, is now available with an English voiceover.

During the conference, Dr. Picard shared information about epilepsy and seizures, including

• The number of people living with epilepsy, e.g.,
  • More than 50 million worldwide
  • 60,000 in Switzerland
  • 500,000 in France
• Causes of epilepsy
• Seizure triggers
• What happens in the brain during a seizure
• Types of epilepsies and seizures
• Treating epilepsy
• An exploration of the possible connection between creativity, art, and epilepsy

This conference is part of the "Art & Epilepsy" DVD that features writings by well-known authors and artists who lived with epilepsy. The DVD combines readings with musical compositions interpreted by master pianist François-René Duchâble. It also includes an investigative report into the history of the epilepsy and interviews with experts about the role epilepsy might play in the creative process. Find more information and order the DVD at www.epileps.ch.

Our thanks to Dr. Fabienne Picard and Hôpitaux Universitaires de Genève (University Hospitals of Geneva) for sharing this recording with the epilepsy community in the U.S.