Global Perspectives on Diagnosis and Management of Childhood Epilepsy Disorders

Faculty

Elaine C. Wirrell, MD, FAAN, FRCPC
Chair and Professor of Child Neurology
Program Director of Child and Adolescent Neurology
Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN
Elaine C. Wirrell, MD, FAAN, FRCPC

Dr. Elaine Wirrell is the Chair and Professor of Child Neurology and Program Director of Child and Adolescent Neurology at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota. She completed medical school at the University of British Columbia and her Pediatric Neurology training at Dalhousie University in Halifax, Nova Scotia.

Dr. Wirrell is the past Co-chair of the Nosology and Status Epilepticus Task Force and a member of the Pediatrics Task Force of the International League Against Epilepsy. She serves as the Co-Editor-in-Chief of Epilepsy.com and is on the Medical Advisory Board for the Dravet Syndrome Foundation and the Lennox-Gastaut Foundation.

Dr. Wirrell?s main research interests are in early onset, medically intractable epilepsies including developmental and epileptic encephalopathies and epidemiology and comorbidities of pediatric epilepsy. Additionally, Dr. Wirrell is the recipient of the 2021 Kiffin-Penry Award from the American Epilepsy Society and the 2016 Distinguished Clinician award from Mayo Clinic.

D. Samba Reddy, PhD, RPh, FAAAS, FAAPS, FAES
Regents Professor, Neuroscience and Experimental Therapeutics
Director, Institute of Pharmacology and Neurotherapeutics
Professor, Engineering Medicine, Biomedical Engineering
Texas A&M University School of Medicine, Bryan, TX
D. Samba Reddy, PhD, RPh, FAAAS, FAAPS, FAES

Dr. Samba Reddy is a Regents Professor of neuroscience and experimental therapeutics and the Director of Texas A&M Institute of Pharmacology and Neurotherapeutics at Texas A&M University School of Medicine. He is a board-certified pharmacist and pharmacologist who is dedicated to developing new treatments for epilepsy and brain disorders. He has received continuous funding from the NIH for 18 years and is the principal lead on several projects funded by the National Institutes of Health (NIH), the US Department of Defense (DOD), and other organizations, in fields such as epilepsy, chemical neurotoxicity and brain injury. Dr. Reddy has made groundbreaking contributions to the field of neurotherapeutics, including the discovery of the “neurosteroid replacement therapy” for epilepsy and women’s health. His research has paved the way for the FDA approval of two new neurosteroid medicines for post-partum depression (brexanolone) and refractory epilepsy (ganaxolone). He has published over 225 papers, five popular textbooks, and has mentored over 100 students and postdocs. He is a sought-after expert in his field and has been honored with numerous awards and recognition from prestigious organizations, including being named one of the world’s top 2% of scientists by Stanford University.

Statement of Need

Unmitigated early-life seizures are associated with life-long physical, cognitive, and behavioral impairments. Early and accurate diagnosis of infantile and childhood seizure disorders is a crucial first step in identifying effective treatment that can mitigate the impacts of seizures on the developing brain. Unfortunately, diagnosis and subtype classification of early-onset epilepsies is frequently delayed until long after the seizures have begun. Clinicians need to confidently differentiate Dravet syndrome (DS), Lennox-Gastaut syndrome (LGS), and tuberous sclerosis complex (TSC), as causes of seizure to form efficient strategies to treat these notoriously resistant conditions. Further, the diagnostic journey and disease management of children with epilepsy conditions is associated with significant quality of life (QoL) impacts on both the patient and family.

Please join expert faculty in this live CMEO webcast as they discuss topics including early diagnosis, patient/caregiver QoL, team-based care, the role of pharmaceutical cannabinoid (CBD) in treatment, and regulatory guidelines. Through this discussion learners will become acquainted with improved tactics to diagnose and treat early-life seizures.

Learning Objectives

At the end of this CME/CE activity, participants should be able to:

Utilize validated assessment tools to achieve early and accurate differential diagnosis of rare childhood seizure disorders, including LGS, DS, and TSC.

Incorporate patient/caregiver QoL assessment and treatment goals into team-based management of pediatric seizure disorders.

Examine the role of pharmaceutical CBD in antiepileptic therapy, including outcomes data, formulation/dosing considerations, augmentation strategies, and regulatory requirements.

Financial Support

This program is supported by an independent medical education grant from Jazz Pharmaceuticals, Inc.

Target Audience

Physicians, nurse practitioners, PAs, nurses, and pharmacists specializing in primary care or emergency medicine.

Credit Information

Jointly Accredited Provider

In support of improving patient care, CME Outfitters, LLC, is jointly accredited by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME), the Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education (ACPE), and the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC), to provide continuing education for the healthcare team.

Physicians (ACCME)

CME Outfitters, LLC, is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME) to provide continuing medical education for physicians. CME Outfitters, LLC, designates this enduring material for a maximum of 1.0 AMA PRA Category 1 Credit(s)™. Physicians should claim only the credit commensurate with the extent of their participation in the activity.

Pharmacists/Pharmacy Tech (ACPE)

This application-based activity is approved for 1.0 contact hour (0.10 CEUs) of continuing pharmacy credit.

Nurses (ANCC)

This activity is designated for 1.0 contact hour.

ABIM MOC

Successful completion of this CME activity, which includes participation in the evaluation component, enables the participant to earn up to 1.0 MOC point in the American Board of Internal Medicine's (ABIM) Maintenance of Certification (MOC) program. Participants will earn MOC points equivalent to the amount of CME credits claimed for the activity. It is the CME activity provider's responsibility to submit participant completion information to ACCME for the purpose of granting ABIM MOC credit.

Royal College MOC

Through an agreement between the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education and the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada, medical practitioners participating in the Royal College MOC Program may record completion of accredited activities registered under the ACCME’s “CME in Support of MOC” program in Section 3 of the Royal College’s MOC Program.

MIPS Improvement Activity

This activity counts towards MIPS Improvement Activity requirements under the Medicare Access and CHIP Reauthorization Act of 2015 (MACRA). Clinicians should submit their improvement activities by attestation via the CMS Quality Payment Program website.

Pediatricians (ABP MOC)

Successful completion of this CME activity, which includes participation in the activity and individual assessment of and feedback to the learner, enables the learner to earn up to 1.0 MOC point in the American Board of Pediatrics’ (ABP) Maintenance of Certification (MOC) program. It is the CME activity provider’s responsibility to submit learner completion information to ACCME for the purpose of granting ABP MOC credit.

Note to Nurse Practitioners

Nurse Practitioners can apply for AMA PRA Category 1 Credit through the American Academy of Nurse Practitioners (AANP). AANP will accept AMA PRA Category 1 Credit  from organizations accredited by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education. Nurse practitioners can also apply for credit through their state boards.

Note for California Nurses

This continuing nursing education activity was approved by the California Board of Registered Nursing. CME Outfitters LLC’s provider number is CEP15510.

PAs (AAPA)

CME Outfitters, LLC, has been authorized by the American Academy of PAs (AAPA) to award AAPA Category 1 CME credit for activities planned in accordance with AAPA CME Criteria. This activity is designated for 1.0 AAPA Category 1 CME credits. Approval is valid until the expiration date listed above. PAs should only claim credit commensurate with the extent of their participation.

Disclosure Declaration

It is the policy of CME Outfitters, LLC, to ensure independence, balance, objectivity, and scientific rigor and integrity in all of their CE activities. Faculty must disclose to the participants any relationships with commercial companies whose products or devices may be mentioned in faculty presentations, or with the commercial supporter of this CE activity. CME Outfitters, LLC, has evaluated, identified, and attempted to resolve any potential conflicts of interest through a rigorous content validation procedure, use of evidence-based data/research, and a multidisciplinary peer review process. The following information is for participant information only. It is not assumed that these relationships will have a negative impact on the presentations.


Dr. Wirrell reports the following financial relationships: Advisory Board: Biohaven and Eisai Inc. Consultant: DSMB for Acadia Pharmaceuticals Inc.; Amicus Therapeutics, Inc.; GRIN Therapeutics; and Neurocrine Biosciences, Inc. Grants: Dravet Syndrome Foundation Research Support: (all payments made to Mayo) Marinus Pharmaceuticals, Inc.; UCB, Inc.; and Zogenix, Inc.


Dr. Reddy reports no financial relationships to disclose.


The following peer reviewer and CME Outfitters staff have no financial relationships:

Elizabeth Naber, MSN, RN, CCRN-K, CNRN, TCRN (peer reviewer)

Evan Luberger (planning committee)

Kellie Busby, PharmD (planning committee)

Susan H. Yarbrough, CHCP (planning committee)

Sandra Caballero, PharmD (planning committee)

Sharon Tordoff (planning committee)


Faculty of this CE activity may include discussions of products or devices that are not currently labeled for use by the FDA. The faculty have been informed of their responsibility to disclose to the audience if they will be discussing off-label or investigational uses (any uses not approved by the FDA) of products or devices.

Obtaining credit

Post-tests, credit request forms, and activity evaluations must be completed online (requires free account activation), and participants can print their certificate or statement of credit immediately (75% pass rate required). This website supports all browsers except Internet Explorer for Mac. For complete technical requirements and privacy policy, visit our Privacy & Confidentiality page.

Questions about this activity?

Call us at (877) CME-PROS or (877) 263-7767.

 


NOTE: Pharmacist CE Universal Activity Number, Enduring: JA0007185-0000-23-027-L01-P

 

WC-063-050323-43

Global Perspectives on Diagnosis and Management of Childhood Epilepsy Disorders
Event Date: 05/03/2023 at 6:30 pm