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Epilepsy Research Web

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Epilepsy is a disorder characterized by recurring seizures, which are disturbances in the electrical activity in the brain. Seizure types range from a momentary disruption of senses to a loss of consciousness and violent movements that can last for minutes. Epilepsy affects people of all ages, from infants to the aged. There is no single cause for epilepsy; however epilepsy can sometimes be associated with a positive family history, illness, head injury, or abnormal brain development. It is estimated that 1-2% of the population has epilepsy, and of those individuals, approximately two-thirds respond well to medical treatment. NIH/NINDS and its community-based research partners are dedicated to finding a cure and/or preventing epilepsy in individuals who have or are at risk for seizures. This web page is designed to provide some information about ongoing epilepsy research efforts.

Select this link for more information about epilepsy: NINDS Epilepsy Information Page

New!  NINDS publication: Curing Epilepsy: The Promise of Research

Table of Contents (click to jump to sections)
"Benchmarks" for Epilepsy Research
NINDS Anticonvulsant Screening Program
The Judith Hoyer Lecture on Epilepsy
Workshop Summaries
Workshop Publications
Recent Initiatives
Congressional Appropriations Committee Reports
Additional Links

"Benchmarks" for Epilepsy Research

NINDS Anticonvulsant Screening Program

The Anticonvulsant Screening Program (ASP) is a government sponsored effort to encourage and to facilitate the discovery of new therapeutic agents for the treatment of seizure disorders. The ASP has as its major goal the establishment of worldwide collaborative relationships among the government, academia, and industry to search for a cure of the epilepsies and to provide the necessary incentives for discovery, characterization, and development of novel antiseizure/anticonvulsant agents. These efforts are undertaken through multilevel testing directed toward the development of safer and more effective therapies for treating the various seizure disorders. The biological information generated and the consultations provided aid our participants in developing unique insights concerning the pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic properties of the compounds tested. ASP thus provides a strong incentive to researchers working in this and other fields. The success of these efforts directly translates into new treatments for patients afflicted with seizure disorders.

Select this link to view additional information about the NINDS ASP program

Judith Hoyer Lecture in Epilepsy logo
The Judith Hoyer Lecture on Epilepsy
November 30, 2007
Philadelphia, PA

Workshop Summaries

Workshop Publications

LaFrance CW Jr , Alper K, Babcock D, et al. Nonepileptic seizures treatment workshop summary. Epilepsy & Behavior 2006; 8:451-461.

Jacobs MP, Fischbach GD, Davis MR, et al. Future directions for epilepsy research. Neurology 2001; 57:1536-1542.

Recent Initiatives

Select this link to view additional NINDS funding information by program area

Congressional Appropriations Committee Reports

  • Epilepsy Research Coordination and Progress in Implementing the Epilepsy Research Benchmarks - 2005 (PDF - 80 KB)
    In the Senate Report (No. 108-345) accompanying the Fiscal Year 2005 appropriations bill for the National Institutes of Health (NIH), the Senate Committee on Appropriations requested that NIH report on efforts to coordinate research activities across NIH and on progress made to implement the Epilepsy Research Benchmarks.
  • Progress in Implementing Epilepsy Research Benchmarks and Coordinating Research Efforts - 2003 (PDF - 5,799 KB)
    In the Senate Report (No. 107-216) accompanying the Fiscal Year 2003 appropriations bill for the National Institutes of Health (NIH), the Senate Committee on Appropriations requested that NIH report on the progress made to implement the Epilepsy Research Benchmarks, and on efforts to coordinate research activities across NIH.
  • Epilepsy Research Benchmarks Implementation Plan - 2002 (PDF - 50 KB)
    In the Senate Report (No. 107-84) accompanying the Fiscal Year 2002 appropriations bill for the National Institutes of Health (NIH), the Committee encouraged NIH to develop a plan to implement the benchmarks for epilepsy research that resulted from the March 2000 NINDS conference "Curing Epilepsy: Focus on the Future" and to coordinate research activites across NIH Institutes. The benchmarks were developed for the epilepsy research community to use as milestones in measuring progress towards finding a cure for epilepsy.

Additional Links:

Last updated April 25, 2008