 The current logo, in use since 2013 | |
| Formation | 4 October 1966 |
|---|---|
| Founded at | Royal College of Physicians |
| Type | CLG |
| Registration no. | 77588 |
| Location | |
Membership (1980) | 2,500 |
| Website | epilepsy |
Formerly called |
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Epilepsy Ireland is an Irish charity that provides support, information and advice to people with epilepsy. Founded in 1966, the organisation is based in Dublin, with nine regional offices throughout Ireland. [1]
The organisation was founded as the Irish Epilepsy Association on 4 October 1966 following an inaugural meeting held in the Royal College of Physicians on Kildare Street, Dublin among various physicians including Dr. John Bergin (Stewarts Hospital), Mr. George Burden (secretary general for the International Bureau for Epilepsy and general secretary for the British Epilepsy Association), Dr. Peter Fahy (consultant psychiatrist for the student health service of University College Dublin) and Professor Patrick A. McNally (associate professor of Medicine at the Royal College of Physicians and senior physician at Mercer's Hospital) who presided over the meeting. [2] [3] [4] [5]
On 30 October 1967, a seminar was opened by the then Minister for Health, Seán Flanagan in the Intercontinental Hotel in Dublin. It was organised by the charity and was attended by more than 400 doctors, social workers and employers. [6] The minister emphasised the importance of early diagnosis and educating the general public about the condition. [7]
As of March 1980, there were about 2,500 members and the registered address was at Dawson Street. [8] The charity was registered as a company on 16 September 1980 as Brainwave - The Irish Epilepsy Association and is recorded on the charity register as the official name of the organisation. [9] [10] On 7 February 2013, the organisation was rebranded as Epilepsy Ireland. [11]
A former board member of Brainwave, the predecessor to Epilepsy Ireland, was the late Joe Doyle. A life-long epileptic, he was also the first leader of a council in Ireland to have epilepsy.
Epilepsy is a group of non-communicable neurological disorders characterized by recurrent epileptic seizures. An epileptic seizure is the clinical manifestation of an abnormal, excessive, and synchronized electrical discharge in the neurons. The occurrence of two or more unprovoked seizures defines epilepsy. The occurrence of just one seizure may warrant the definition in a more clinical usage where recurrence may be able to be prejudged. Epileptic seizures can vary from brief and nearly undetectable periods to long periods of vigorous shaking due to abnormal electrical activity in the brain. These episodes can result in physical injuries, either directly, such as broken bones, or through causing accidents. In epilepsy, seizures tend to recur and may have no detectable underlying cause. Isolated seizures that are provoked by a specific cause such as poisoning are not deemed to represent epilepsy. People with epilepsy may be treated differently in various areas of the world and experience varying degrees of social stigma due to the alarming nature of their symptoms.
A seizure is a sudden change in behavior, movement, and/or consciousness due to abnormal electrical activity in the brain. Seizures can look different in different people. It can be uncontrolled shaking of the whole body or a person spacing out for a few seconds. Most seizures last less than two minutes. They are then followed by confusion/drowsiness before the person returns to normal. If a seizure lasts longer than 5 minutes, it is a medical emergency and needs immediate treatment.
Anticonvulsants are a diverse group of pharmacological agents used in the treatment of epileptic seizures. Anticonvulsants are also increasingly being used in the treatment of bipolar disorder and borderline personality disorder, since many seem to act as mood stabilizers, and for the treatment of neuropathic pain. Anticonvulsants suppress the excessive rapid firing of neurons during seizures. Anticonvulsants also prevent the spread of the seizure within the brain.
Photosensitive epilepsy (PSE) is a form of epilepsy in which seizures are triggered by visual stimuli that form patterns in time or space, such as flashing lights, bold, regular patterns, or regular moving patterns. PSE affects approximately one in 4,000 people.
A headache is often present in patients with epilepsy. If the headache occurs in the vicinity of a seizure, it is defined as peri-ictal headache, which can occur either before (pre-ictal) or after (post-ictal) the seizure, to which the term ictal refers. An ictal headache itself may or may not be an epileptic manifestation. In the first case, it is defined as ictal epileptic headache or simply epileptic headache. It is a type of pain seizure that can remain isolated or be followed by other manifestations of the seizure. On the other hand, a ictal non-epileptic headache is a headache that occurs during a seizure but it is not due to an epileptic mechanism. When the headache does not occur in the vicinity of a seizure, it is defined as inter-ictal headache. In the case it's a disorder separate from epilepsy, it's a comorbidity.
Turners Cross is an all-seater football stadium located in and synonymous with the district of Turners Cross in Cork, Ireland. It is owned by the Munster Football Association (MFA), and is used by the MFA and by League of Ireland side Cork City.
An aura is a perceptual disturbance experienced by some with epilepsy or migraine. An epileptic aura is actually a minor seizure.
Psychogenic non-epileptic seizures (PNES), also referred to as pseudoseizures, non-epileptic attack disorder (NEAD), functional seizures, or dissociative seizures, are episodes resembling an epileptic seizure but without the characteristic electrical discharges associated with epilepsy. PNES fall under the category of disorders known as functional neurological disorders (FND) and are typically treated by psychologists or psychiatrists.
Non-epileptic seizures (NES), also known as pseudoseizures, non-epileptic attack disorder (NEAD), functional seizures, or dissociative seizures, are paroxysmal events that appear similar to an epileptic seizure, but do not involve abnormal, rhythmic discharges of neurons in the brain. Symptoms may include shaking, loss of consciousness, and loss of bladder control.
Frontal lobe epilepsy (FLE) is a neurological disorder that is characterized by brief, recurring seizures arising in the frontal lobes of the brain, that often occur during sleep. It is the second most common type of epilepsy after temporal lobe epilepsy (TLE), and is related to the temporal form in that both forms are characterized by partial (focal) seizures.
...First Do No Harm is a 1997 American drama television film produced and directed by Jim Abrahams, written by Ann Beckett, and starring Meryl Streep, Fred Ward, and Seth Adkins. It is about a boy whose severe epilepsy, unresponsive to medications with terrible side effects, is controlled by the ketogenic diet. Aspects of the story mirror Abrahams' own experience with his son Charlie.
The Epilepsy Society is the largest medical charity in the field of epilepsy in the United Kingdom, providing services for people with epilepsy for over 100 years. Based in Chalfont St Peter, Buckinghamshire, UK, its stated mission is "to enhance the quality of life of people affected by epilepsy by promoting research, education and public awareness and by delivering specialist medical care and support services." The Epilepsy Society has close partnerships with the National Hospital for Neurology and Neurosurgery and the UCL Institute of Neurology, both located in Queen Square, London.
Paul Crossan is an Irish radio personality. He was born in Drimnagh, Dublin, grew up in Crumlin, and attended Drimnagh Castle Secondary School and University College Dublin. He has been a presenter on RTÉ 2fm since 2001. O'Shea also presented The Poetry Programme on RTÉ Radio 1 in 2015 and 2016. Since 2017 he has been presenting the morning show on RTÉ Gold. He has presented The Book Show on RTÉ Radio 1 since 2019.
Geschwind syndrome, also known as Gastaut–Geschwind syndrome, is a group of behavioral phenomena evident in some people with temporal lobe epilepsy. It is named for one of the first individuals to categorize the symptoms, Norman Geschwind, who published prolifically on the topic from 1973 to 1984. There is controversy surrounding whether it is a true neuropsychiatric disorder. Temporal lobe epilepsy causes chronic, mild, interictal changes in personality, which slowly intensify over time. Geschwind syndrome includes five primary changes: hypergraphia, hyperreligiosity, atypical sexuality, circumstantiality, and intensified mental life. Not all symptoms must be present for a diagnosis. Only some people with epilepsy or temporal lobe epilepsy show features of Geschwind syndrome.
Epilepsy and driving is a personal and public safety issue. A person with a seizure disorder that causes lapses in consciousness may put themselves and the public at risk if a seizure occurs while they are operating a motor vehicle. Not only can a seizure itself cause a car wreck, but anticonvulsants often have side effects that include drowsiness. People with epilepsy are more likely to be involved in a traffic collision than people who do not have the condition, although reports range from minimally more likely up to seven times more likely.
Migralepsy is a rare condition in which a migraine is followed, within an hour period, by an epileptic seizure. Because of the similarities in signs, symptoms, and treatments of both conditions, such as the neurological basis, the psychological issues, and the autonomic distress that is created from them, they individually increase the likelihood of causing the other. However, also because of the sameness, they are often misdiagnosed for each other, as migralepsy rarely occurs.
Epilepsy can affect employment for a variety of reasons. Many employers are reluctant to hire a person they know has epilepsy, even if the seizures are controlled by medication. If the employee has a seizure while at work, they could harm themselves depending on the nature of the work. Employers are often unwilling to bear any financial costs that may come from employing a person with epilepsy, i.e. insurance costs, paid sick leave etc. Many people whose seizures are successfully controlled by a medication experience a variety of side effects, most notably drowsiness, which may affect job performance. Many laws prohibit or restrict people with epilepsy from performing certain duties, most notably driving or operating dangerous machinery, thereby lowering the pool of jobs available to people with epilepsy. People with epilepsy are also prohibited from joining the armed forces, though they may work in certain civilian military positions.
Epilepsy is a neurological condition of recurrent episodes of unprovoked epileptic seizures. A seizure is an abnormal neuronal brain activity that can cause intellectual, emotional, and social consequences. Epilepsy affects children and adults of all ages and races, and is one of the most common neurological disorders of the nervous system. Epilepsy is more common among children than adults, affecting about 6 out of 1000 US children that are between the age of 0 to 5 years old. The epileptic seizures can be of different types depending on the part of the brain that was affected, seizures are classified in 2 main types partial seizure or generalized seizure.
William Philip Spratling was an American neurologist known for his advances in the treatment and study of epilepsy; he is often described as the first American epileptologist – a word he is credited with having coined in his 1904 work Epilepsy and Its Treatment.
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