Wednesday, June 18, 2025 - 15:00 BST / 16:00 CEST / 10:00 EDT / 07:00 PDT
Epilepsy is the fourth most common neurological condition globally, affecting approximately 50 million individuals. A neurological disease characterized by recurrent and unprovoked seizures, epilepsy can affect people in very different ways.
Utilization of antiepileptic drugs (AEDs) is the primary modality for mitigation of symptoms and disease management, with significant improvements to therapeutic approaches following the advent of second-generation AEDs (i.e. levetiracetam and lamotrigine) which are widely prescribed compared to first-generation AEDs (i.e. valproic acid, carbamazepine, and phenytoin). Furthermore, for females of childbearing age with epilepsy, second-generation AEDs remain the medication of choice.
This educational webinar will highlight important aspects of therapeutic drug monitoring in epilepsy and discuss strategies for laboratories to implement appropriate AED testing to support patient care.
Key learning objectives
- Recognize the etiology and epidemiology of epilepsy (i.e., what is epilepsy? and what is it not?)
- Identify implementation strategies for appropriate utilization of AED testing
- Summarize the medications for treating epilepsy along with the latest guidelines around monitoring using second generation AED clinical diagnostic lab assays
Who should attend
Lab technicians, lab managers, lab directors, neurologists, neurology community
Accreditation statement
SelectScience® is approved as a provider of continuing education programs in the clinical laboratory sciences by the ASCLS P.A.C.E.® Program. Verification of Participation certificates are provided to registered participants based on completion of the activity, in its entirety, and the activity evaluation.
Presenters
Dr. Ken Tamama
Professor of Pathology, Medical Director, Clinical Toxicology Laboratory
University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, USA
Dr. Ken Tamama is the Medical Director of the Clinical Toxicology Laboratory and Clinical Pathology Informatics. He is also Director of Pathology Resident Training in Clinical Chemistry. He is a board-certified clinical pathologist with expertise in assay development of newly emerging drugs of abuse, toxicology test optimization, and various approaches to drug screening using mass spectrometry and other testing modalities.
Dr. Rahiwa Gebre
Neurologist, Assistant Professor of Neurology, Department of Neurology
University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, USA
Dr. Rahiwa Gebre specializes in epilepsy neurology and is board-certified in neurology by the American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology. Dr. Gebre received her medical degree from Yale University School of Medicine and completed her residency and fellowship at Yale University School of Medicine and Yale New Haven Hospital. Her research interests focus on anti-epileptic drug monitoring during pregnancy and post-partum lactation.
Sarah Thomas
Associate Editor
SelectScience