INTERNATIONAL COURSE: FROM BASIC KNOWLEDGE TO RATIONAL PRESCRIBING IN EPILEPSY

A course at the Venice International School of Neurological Sciences under the aegis of the ILAE Commissions on European Affairs and Therapeutic Strategies, and the European Epilepsy Academy San Servolo Island, Venice, 10-19 July 2003

LINK TO THE UNOFFICIAL SITE OF THE SECOND SAN SERVOLO INTERNATIONAL SUMMER SCHOOL BY MILAN RIMAC

Preliminary draft program:

July 10 - The pharmacology of AEDs
Morning 9.00-12.30
- Mechanisms of action of old and new AEDs
- Experimental models for the discovery and testing of AEDs
- Antiepileptic vs antiepileptogenic effects
- Using preclinical data to predict efficacy and safety in the clinic

Afternoon 14.00-17.00
- Electrophysiological methods for analysis of AED effects
- Practical demonstration of voltage clamp techniques (breakdown into groups)

July 11 - Pharmacokinetics and therapeutic drug monitoring
Morning 9.00-12.30
- Basic principles of pharmacokinetics
- The pharmacokinetics of AEDs: An overview
- Pharmacokinetics of AEDs in special populations
- Pharmacokinetic optimisation of AED therapy

Afternoon 14.00-17.00
- Guided PK-problem solving exercises (breakdown into groups)

July 12 - Drug interactions
Morning 8.30-12.45
- Mechanisms of AED interactions
- Clinical implications of enzyme induction and inhibition
- Prediction of metabolic drug interactions
- Pharmacodynamic AED interactions
- The 10 most important drug interactions in epilepsy

Afternoon 14.00-17.00
- Case studies, drug interactions - Guided problem solving exercises (breakdown into groups)

July 13 - Assessing efficacy and safety (1)
Morning 8.30-12.45
- The 4 phases of drug development
- Usefulness and limitations of uncontrolled studies
- Randomized controlled trials
- Active controlled trials Statistical principles applied to design and analysis of clinical trials

Afternoon 14.00-17.00
- Journal club (breakdown into groups)

July 14 - Assessing efficacy and safety (2)
Morning 9.00-12.30
- Choosing endpoints Pragmatic trials
- Epidemiological methods to assess treatment outcomes
- Metanalysis

Afternoon 14.00-17.00
- Journal club (breakdown into groups)

July 15 - Balancing efficacy vs safety
Morning 9.00-12.30
- Spectrum of activity of AEDs: Seizures vs syndromes
- Drug choice and efficacy outcomes: Early epilepsies
- Drug choice and efficacy outcomes: Chronic refractory epilepsy
- Comparative CNS side effects of AEDs

Afternoon 14.00-16.00
- Non-CNS side effects of AED therapy
- How should side effects be assessed?
- Pharmacogenomics

16.00-17.00
- Case studies- video sessions (breakdown into groups)

July 16 - Therapeutic algorithms
- Morning 8.30-12.45
- To treat or not to treat?
- Which drug?
- Which dose?
- Alternative monotherapy or combination therapy?
- Maximizing benefit from drug combinations

Afternoon 14.00-15.30
- Management of status epilepticus

15.30-17.00
- Case studies, status epilepticus- Guided problem solving exercises (breakdown into groups)

July 17
- Workshop – Historical Controls for Monotherapy studies (Ad hoc Subcommission - ILAE Commission on Therapeutic strategies) -Workshop – Clinical Trials of AEDs in Eastern Europe (Ad hoc Subcommission- ILAE Commission on European Affairs)

15.00-17.00
Case studies - Guided problem solving exercises (breakdown into groups)

July 18 - Special populations
Morning 8.30-12.45
- Infants and neonates
- Children
- Women
- Pregnancy
- The elderly

Afternoon 14.00
- Training workshops
Breakdown into groups and development of a therapeutic / clinical outcome protocol

July 19 -
Morning 9.00-12.30
- Training workshops cont.
Breakdown into groups and development of a therapeutic / clinical outcome protocol

Afternoon 14.00-17.00
- Plenary workshop
Presentation and general discussions of projects developed on July 18-19

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