1. Adult Epileptology
2. Autoimmune Neurological Disorders and Epilepsy
3. Basic Science
4. Climate Change
5. Clinical Neurophysiology
6. Drug Therapy
7. Epidemiology
8. Epilepsy and Comorbidities
9. Epilepsy and Reproductive Health
10. Epilepsy Infection and Inflammation
11. Epilepsy in Older People
12. Epilepsy in Resource-restricted Settings
13. Epilepsy Surgery
14. Epileptic Encephalopathies
15. Genetics
16. Neuroimaging
17. Neuropsychology
18. Neurostimulation
19. Paediatric Epileptology
20. Psychiatry
21. Social Issues/Nursing
22. Status Epilepticus
23. Systemic Diseases and Epilepsy
24. Terminology and Classification

ABSTRACT SUBMISSION 

How do I submit an abstract?

Abstracts will only be accepted for review if submitted via the congress abstract submission system. Deadline: 15 May

Can I make changes to my abstract after submission?

You may make changes to your submitted abstract until the official submission deadline. 

Once the abstract submission deadline has passed, changes are not permitted unless they relate to the results of the study. In this case only, please contact abstracts@epilepsycongress.org

Can I submit an abstract after the deadline?

Abstracts will not be accepted for review after the deadline. Please contact abstracts@epilepsycongress.org with any queries.

Can an Encore Abstract be submitted? 

Yes, an encore abstract may be submitted, provided that there is no copyright issue with the original publisher.

What is the abstract word count?

Maximum word count is 300.

ABSTRACT ACCEPTANCE 

When will I know if my abstract has been accepted?

Submitting authors will be notified via email of the outcome of the abstract review once completed.

How will I receive the information from the Secretariat?

Contact details provided at the time of submission will be used for all correspondence related to the congress. Please ensure that the correct details are entered. 

The abstract notification will be sent to the submitting author. If the presenting author differs from the submitting author, all further correspondence will be directed to the presenting author.

How will my abstract be presented at the congress?

The listed presenting author of abstracts which have been accepted for presentation will receive all presentation details by email using the contact details provided at the time of submission.  

My colleague has received confirmation of their abstract acceptance, and I did not, is there something wrong?

Please contact abstracts@epilepsycongress.org

Will my accepted abstract be published? 

Abstracts accepted for presentation at the AOEC will be considered for publication in Epilepsia. Those judged suitable by the editorial team based on novelty and scientific impact will be published electronically. Others may be accepted for presentation at the meeting but will not be published.

Abstracts previously published in an Epilepsia special issue will not be included for publication in the AOEC 2026 special issue (but may still be considered for presentation at the congress).

ABSTRACTS - GENERAL QUERIES

Which reference number should I use when I send a query to the Secretariat? 

The personal ID Reference Number that you received when you submitted your abstract should be mentioned in all correspondence.

I am not the first author; may I present the poster on behalf of my colleagues?

Presentation by a second author may be allowed. Once your registration has been completed, please contact abstracts@epilepsycongress.org.  

Please note however that each author is permitted to present only once during the congress (not including invited lectures).

I am an invited speaker in the congress programme; do I need to submit an abstract? 

Invited speakers are not required to submit abstracts to illustrate their talks.

I have been selected for a platform session, but I would have preferred a poster presentation, what can I do?

During the abstract submission process, you were asked if you would prefer poster or oral (platform) presentation, or if you do not have a preference.

The Abstract Review Committee (ARC) took this preference into account and did not select an abstract for platform presentation if the submitter indicated that s/he does not want a platform presentation. However, if you indicated that you had no preference between poster and platform presentation, then the ARC has selected your work to be presented in a platform session because they felt that it was of high quality and that a large audience would be interested in knowing more about the study. It would be a shame not to use this opportunity to present your work! 

However, if you are unable to make an oral presentation, please contact the secretariat at abstracts@epilepsycongress.org for alternative arrangements.

When will abstracts be published in Epilepsia?

After the congress, all presented abstracts will be compiled and undergo a series of proofreading. Once finalised, the abstract book is expected to be published early 2027.

Will my accepted abstract be published?
Abstracts accepted for presentation at the AOEC will be considered for publication in Epilepsia. Those judged suitable by the editorial team based on novelty and scientific impact will be published electronically. Others may be accepted for presentation at the meeting but will not be published.
Abstracts previously published in an Epilepsia special issue will not be included for publication in the AOEC 2026 special issue (but may still be considered for presentation at the congress).

When will abstracts be published in Epilepsia?
After the congress, all presented abstracts will be compiled and undergo a series of proofreading. Once finalised, the abstract book is expected to be published early 2027.

GUIDELINES FOR ORAL PRESENTATIONS IN PLATFORM SESSIONS

Preparing your Presentation

1. Presentations must be given in English, the official language of the congress. No translation will be available.
2. The assigned time for each platform presentation is 10 minutes, followed by questions and answers for up to 2 minutes. Please be certain that the length of the oral presentation remains within the allotted time, as session chairs will be instructed to terminate presentations which exceed their time.
3. Presentations should be planned carefully, and each phase of the lecture should be co-ordinated to match the PowerPoint presentation.
4. Remember, the three rules of effective presentation are:
   • Introduce your topic and inform your audience about what you intend to speak.
   • Deliver your talk, including the methods, results and conclusions.
   • Summarise the most important points of your lecture for the audience.
5. On arrival at the congress venue, please go to the Speakers’ Room to check in and save your presentation on the network. We recommend that you go to the Speakers’ Room the day before your presentation. Please note that all presentations must be placed on the network at least 3 hours before the session.
6. Format and saving method for PowerPoint documents:
   • Only MS-PowerPoint (*.ppt) presentations with video formats will be accepted.
   • Please verify that the size of your slides is adapted to projection ratio of 16:9.
   • Please save fonts used in your document.
   • If your presentation uses digital video file (files .mpg or .avi), check that they are saved in the same directory as your PowerPoint file and adapt the link if necessary.
7. Media to use to provide your presentation:
   • Please bring a USB memory stick (flash drive) for PC.
   • If you wish to compress your files, use Winzip.
   • We strongly recommend that you bring a copy of your presentation on a USB memory stick (flash drive), even if your presentation exists on your laptop.
8. The use of your files:
   • Your original media used in the Speakers’ Room are immediately returned to you.
   • A single file with your presentation is created on the server; no copy is made except for technical back-ups.
9. Please make sure that you arrive in the session room at least 10 minutes before the start of the session in order to meet the Co-chairs.
10. If your presentation uses digital video files, bring your videos to the Speakers’ Room on DVD or USB drive and please ensure that you leave adequate time ahead of your session to discuss and confirm with the technicians that the files are in working order. MPG (MPEG), WMV or AVI are the only acceptable video formats.
11. If you use hyperlinks to websites in your presentation, please download the website to your USB drive. Try to avoid too many different folders on the medium.
12. Special notes for Apple users:
    • Please give your filename an extension “.PPT”.
    • Try out your presentation on a PC before bringing it to the congress.
    • Use a common font, such as Arial, Times New Roman, Verdana, etc. (special fonts might be changed to a default font on a Windows PC).
13. Do not use timer-controlled transitions (transitions that switch to the next slide after a pre-set amount of time).
14. In presentation mode, your text should be large enough to be easily readable. The slides should not include multiple rows of text in small font.
15. Media to use to provide your presentation:
    • Please bring a USB memory stick (flash drive) for PC.
    • If you wish to compress your files, use Winzip.
    • We strongly recommend that you bring a copy of your presentation on a USB memory stick (flash drive), even if your presentation exists on your laptop.

Speakers’ Room

1. You must go to the Speakers’ Room to check in and save your presentation on the network.
2. It is recommended to go to the Speakers’ Room the day before your presentation. Please note that all presentations must be placed on the network at least 3 hours before the session. Speakers at early morning sessions are required to submit their material no later than 17:00 on the evening before their session is scheduled.
3. Computers are available in the Speakers’ Room for any last-minute changes and to review presentations. Presentations may not be edited in the session room.
4. In the Speakers’ Room, a technician helps you to transfer your presentation onto the network and then performs a quick run-through with you to check that the presentation runs correctly.

Your Presentation

1. Please make sure to arrive in the session room at least 10 minutes before the start of the session to meet the Chair(s) and to discuss general session arrangements. Session Chairs have been encouraged to contact speakers prior to the congress to prepare their sessions and to request a short bio from each speaker.
2. Remember, the three rules of effective presentation are:
   • Introduce your topic and inform your audience about what your intended topic.
   • Deliver your talk, including the methods, results and conclusions.
   • Summarise the most important points of your lecture for the audience.
3. Please explain any acronyms used in your presentation as well as your visuals for the benefit of all attendees.
4. To avoid breaks between speakers, presentations from speakers’ own laptops are not permitted in session rooms.

If you have any questions on your platform presentation, please contact aoec@epilepsycongress.org

What are the requirements for in-person poster presenters? 

• You will mount your physical poster on a poster board in the Congress venue on a scheduled day. Poster boards are portrait in orientation, and the maximum available dimensions of the poster board are to be confirmed in the coming weeks.

The poster does not need to fill the board; the board measurements are shared so that your poster can fit within these dimensions.

• Materials will be provided for affixing posters to the poster boards.
• The presenter must check in at the Poster Desk in the Poster Area on arrival in the morning and before setting up the poster on the board.
• It is compulsory to present a physical poster at the congress. There will be no facilities for a digital poster display/virtual presentation.
• Please note that the Congress does not assume responsibility for unclaimed posters. All unclaimed posters will be discarded.

How do I register for the congress as an in-person poster presenter? 

• You can register for the congress here.
• The presenting author must register for the congress to finalise the acceptance of the abstract and to ensure publication of the abstract in Epilepsia.
• Non-registered presenting authors will be automatically removed and excluded from publication.
• Poster presenters must attend the Congress in-person and can ONLY register as an in-person delegate on the registration platform.

I am not the first author; may I present the poster on behalf of my colleagues?

• Presentation by a second author may be allowed. Once the presenting author’s registration has been completed, please contact abstracts@epilepsycongress.org to identify the name and email address of the presenting author.

What size should my poster be?

• Your poster can be whatever size you like, as long as it is clear, legible and fits on the poster boards which are portrait in orientation. However, the standard size for posters is A0.

What material should I print my poster on?

• We recommend paper, provided it is a suitable wight that can be held up on the board by whichever adhesive materials you have used (either your own or whatever the congress organisers have provided).
• Unfortunately, no assistance will be available for the mounting and removal of posters.  

The Scientific and Organising Committee would like to extend its gratitude for the assistance of the following people with the review of the abstracts.

Abstract Review Committee:

• Ameena Aimen (Pakistan)
• Raymond Azman Ali (Malaysia)
• Sherrini Ahmad Bazir (Malaysia)
• Derrick Chan (Singapore)
• Chien Chen (Taiwan)
• J Helen Cross (United Kingdom)
• Ding Ding (China)
• John Dunne (Australia)
• Si Lei Fong (Malaysia)
• Anchor Hung (Hong Kong SAR China)
• Kensuke Kawai (Japan)
• Ching Soong Khoo (Malaysia)
• Naoto Kuroda (Japan)
• Kheng Seang Lim (Malaysia)
• Xiaorong Liu (China)
• Man Mohan Mehndiratta (India)
• Piero Perucca (Australia)
• Venus Tang (Hong Kong SAR China)
• Meng-Han Tsai (Taiwan)
• KP Vinayan (India)
• Jithangi Wanigasinghe (Sri Lanka)

Accepted abstracts will be made available on the Congress planner approximately four weeks prior to the congress (23 October 2026). Information contained in these abstracts may not be released prior to their availability on the Congress planner.

Violation of the embargo may result in the abstract being withdrawn from the Congress.

Bursary applications are now closed. If you applied for a bursary you will receive an update in the coming weeks.

In order to encourage young researchers to participate in the congress, bursaries will be awarded to a number of applicants who have submitted an abstract to the congress that stands out for its scientific quality.

Bursary awards assist awardees with registration in order to attend the congress.

Applications for bursaries will only be accepted from those who also submit an abstract.

Please contact the ILAE Secretariat at bursary@epilepsycongress.org with any queries.

REQUIREMENTS AND CONDITIONS

• Applications for bursaries will only be accepted via the online abstract submission system for the congress.
• The applicant must submit an abstract and receive a score higher than 3.5 out of 5.
• At the time of application, the applicant must be 45 years of age or under. A copy of the applicant’s passport/ID document must be included with the application to verify date of birth.
• The applicant must submit a short statement explaining why attendance at the congress would be particularly relevant to his/her present appointment or activity in the field of epilepsy, making sure to indicate the reason he/she requires funding to attend the congress and why he/she feels the application should be considered.
• The applicant must submit a signed reference from a person supporting his/her application (e.g. local ILAE Chapter representative, Head of Department of hospital or institution, etc.).
• The applicant may not have received a bursary to participate in an ILAE/IBE congress over the past four years.
• The applicant must declare if he/she has sourced any other funding to attend the congress and disclose the nature of the funding.