Can new technology bring hope to children who have drug-resistant epilepsy?

The Pediatric Epilepsy Surgery Alliance was thrilled to co-host the USA Premiere of Seizing Hope: High Tech Journeys in Pediatric Epilepsy at the 2022 American Epilepsy Society Annual Meeting.

Now you have an opportunity to view this film during a virtual screening event with the Divisions of Bioethics and Pediatric Neurology at Columbia University.

You can register for this screening here! 

More than 500,000 children in Canada and the USA have epilepsy. About a third of those children continue to have seizures despite taking anti-seizure medications, also known as pediatric drug-resistant epilepsy (DRE). Surgery may be one option for them, but what if there is another option that is less invasive or more effective? What if new technology can bring hope to children who have DRE?

This mini-documentary is about hope for children and their families in mitigating and treating pediatric drug-resistant epilepsy (DRE). It is a story about how families learn to trust their medical team, educate them, and help them consider neurotechnology options for their child. It is a story about empowerment as loved ones shed light on the ethical factors that led to their decisions. In doing so, they empower other families that face similar challenges. It is a story of how children and families affected by DRE can seize hope in times of darkness for a better quality of life.

In a world guided by the promises of technology, the goal of Seizing Hope is to raise awareness about the options offered by different technologies specifically for the brain in complement or as an alternative to treatment with medication. The purpose of this documentary is to empower and improve decision-making by exploring values and priorities through the lens of the families and doctors who care for them. The stories of four families with children with pediatric DRE were compiled to shed light on their hope, trust, and empowerment journey. The views and research presented in this documentary represent a multi-year neuroethics project funded by the National Institute of Mental Health of the USA National Institutes of Health, BRAIN Initiative.

Learn more at https://www.seizinghopefilm.com/

For upcoming screenings: https://neuroethics.med.ubc.ca/seizing-hope-high-tech-journeys-in-pediatric-epilepsy/#shscreenings

For more pediatric drug-resistant epilepsy and neurotechnological treatments resource materials, please visit:

• NIH Epilepsy Resources (Neuroethics Canada)

And the resources from the Pediatric Epilepsy Surgery Alliance:

• About Epilepsy Surgery
• The Risks of Drug-Resistant Seizures In Childhood 
• The Surgical Evaluation Process 
• Understanding the decision-making process around RNS, VNS, and DBS 
• Neurostimulation devices for pediatric seizures – What’s New?  
• Deep Brain Stimulation
• Responsive Neurostimulation (RNS) 
• Vagus Nerve Stimulation (VNS)