Finnish Epilepsy Society

Summary of Activities in 2006-2007

Our main activity in 2006 was the 7th European Congress on Epileptology which was organized in Helsinki 2-6 July. Our Society worked together with the Scientific Advisory Committee to create a scientific program, which concentrated, among other issues, on epileptogenesis and brain maturation in epilepsy evolution. Finnish Epileptology Symposium focused on “Unverricht-Lundborg disease: in Finland and elsewhere.” Progressive myoclonus epilepsy of Unvericht-Lundborg type, EPM1, is most prevalent around the Baltic Sea, especially in Finland, but is also relatively frequent in the western Mediterranean region. This symposium addressed the current knowledge of the molecular genetics, phenotype variation, clinical evolution and update on treatment of this rare disease. Wider overview of rare or so-called ‘orphan diseases’ in epilepsy and the possibility to treat these rare disorders with specifically developed ‘orphan drugs’ was given in this Congress in a unique symposium dedicated to this important issue.

This Congress provided Finnish epileptology with a unique opportunity to increase general knowledge about epilepsy, as together, with the Finnish Epilepsy Association (FEA, the Chapter of IBE) we made a very successful publicity campaign during the Congress and gained lot of visibility in media. The population of Finland is 5.2 million inhabitants, and we have 56,000 persons who have diagnoses of epilepsy (38,000 on active medication). During the Congress and directly after we gained 126 hits in media with the circulation of 7.5 million (July-September 2006).

In 2007 the Finnish Epilepsy Association (the Chapter of IBE) with the support of experts of the Finnish Epilepsy Society arranged education for health care professionals and panel discussions for audiences in collaboration with a Finnish film about epilepsy (A year of a Wolf) done by a famous Finnish movie company. The focus in the film is in experiences of epilepsy as an illness. These activities are a part of the WHO/ILAE/IBE Global Campaign Against Epilepsy: Out of the Shadows in Finland. During this activity 149 hits were in media with circulation of 11.2 million (January-February 2007).

In 2006 we re-started the educational tours around the country. Ten educational meetings were arranged locally as evening meetings. These tours were continued during 2007. The whole neurology and pediatric neurology team working in the district was invited and each meeting gained an audience of 30-80 people.Two national educational meetings were arranged in 2007. In March the topic was “Epilepsy and mental retardation” in Helsinki and in October the topic was “Epilepsy beyond seizures” in Tampere dealing with cognitive and other co-morbid problems of epilepsy and also progression of epilepsy.

Summary of Activities in Relation to Global Campaign

The Chapter has focused to increase professional awareness of epilepsy as a treatable disorder. All our educational meetings are part of the Global Campaign and in major meetings we arrange press conferences to increase public awareness. Members of the Chapter participate in the national effort to create guidelines for the treatment of epilepsy in Finland. In 2006, The Treatment of Prolonged Seizure and Status Epilepticus, and in 2007, The Treatment of Epilepsy in Children and Adolescents and The Treatment of Febrile Seizures were published and are available on the Internet in Finnish. The Chapter has also been an active participant in the discussion of reimbursement policies of new antiepileptic drugs and epilepsy surgery in Finland. The goal is to increase the equal availability of the new drugs and surgery for epilepsy patients regardless of their economic situation or community they live in.

Educational Activities

Described in the Summary of Activities.

Activities in Conjunction with Local IBE Affiliate

Collaboration between ILAE and IBE Chapters in Finland is close and each year at least one of the educational meetings is arranged together. Most of the Global Campaign activities and other public activities arranged by the IBE Chapter always have experts invited from the ILAE Chapter.

Future Plans

The Finnish Epilepsy Society and the Finnish Epilepsy Association are going to improve knowledge of epilepsy and equal access to high-quality care by joining their forces in building a new Web site.

Officer Election Date

October 2008