Chapter Spotlight: Georgia

The Georgian Chapter of the ILAE (GE-ILAE) was founded in 1997 and was announced as a chapter of the ILAE on the 22nd International Epilepsy Congress in Dublin, Ireland (1997).

Chapter Goals:

• Promote quality medical and psycho-social care for persons suffering from epilepsy;
• Implement diagnostic and treatment innovations in Georgia;
• Increase the awareness of medical and psycho-social issues on epilepsy by the elaboration of qualitative curriculums, teaching materials, guidelines and protocols on epileptology (for students and residents as well as for physicians, basic researchers, psychologists, pharmacists, social workers, teachers);
• Organize local and international conferences, workshops and summer-schools on epilepsy;
• Enhance local and international research on epileptology.

Officers

Board Members of the Georgian Chapter of the ILAE (GE-ILAE)
ეპილეფსიასთან ბრძოლის საერთასორისო ლიგის ქართული განყოფილება (GE-ILAE)

2021

On March 26, 2021 a webinar was held on the problems of patients with epilepsy and disabilities due to epilepsy, devoted with the epilepsy Purple Day.

The meeting was organized by the Georgian Chapter of ILAE (GLAE – Sofia Kasradze, Nino Gzirishvili), US Government Exchange Program Alumni Association of Georgia (EPAG – Keti Vashakidze), Organization of women with disabilities – “A Platform for New Opportunities” (PNO) and “European Network for (ex)-Users and Survivors of Psychiatry (ENUSP)(Olga Kalina), Public Defender (Ombudsman) of Georgia (Ekaterine Skhiladze).

A conference was held in the office of the GLAE and Epilepsy Prevention and Control centre with the participation of neurologists from various clinics, epileptologists and people with epilepsy. People with epilepsy informed the audience about founding the non-governmental organization of people with epilepsy, their future activities, plans and actions. At the end of the conference a short film was shownstarring a man with epilepsy who underwent epilepsy surgery in Georgia one year ago. Finally the celebratory cake was cut by the people with epilepsy.

2020

Annual report: Details of chapter activities during 2019-2020

კითხვები და პასუხები ეპილეფსიით დაავადებულებისა და მათზე მზრუნველებისთვის კოვიდ-19-თან დაკავშირებით - COVID-19 FAQs for patients

ეპილეფსიური სტატუსის მართვის ოპტიმიზაცია COVID-19 პანდემიის პირობებში - Optimizing status epilepticus care during the COVID-10 pandemic

 

September 2018

The first epilepsy surgeries in Georgia were performed in September in collaboration with German specialists (Prof. Martin Holtkamp, Ulf Shnaider from Charite Clinic, and Georgian epileptologists and neurosurgions). One of the patient had right-side mesial-temporal scleroses and pre-surgical evaluation was done with non-invasive protocol; in another case, foraman ovale electrodes were inserted bilaterally and this patient is now under supervision in Georgia (please see photos)]

These activities were performed in a frame of the German-Georgian scientific project "EpilepCure",

The Institute for Neurology and Neuropsychology in Tbilisi and the Georgian League was just awarded a 32-channel EEG workstation by the ROW Foundation. This grant is extremely important because it will increase the access to pre-surgical evaluation and epilepsy surgery in more than 12,000 people with drug-resistant epilepsy, living in Georgia. (click on photo to view full size)

 June 2018

The 30th annual meeting of European Academy of Childhood Disability (EACD) "Together we are stronger," took place at Hualing-Tbilisi in Tbilisi, Georgia from Monday, May 28th to Thursday, May 31st 2018. More than 600 delegates from 45 countries of five continents participated.

President of Georgia Giorgi Margvelashvili and First Lady Maka Chichua invited the organizing committee of EASD2018 and more than 380 participants of the annual meeting to the presidents’ palace for a specially organized dinner (see President Margvelashvili Meets Participants of the Annual Meeting of the European Academy of Childhood Disability)

During the preconference symposium, “Infantile epilepsy in light of new ILAE classification-new terminology, etiology and treatment perspectives,” the Georgian Chapter of ILAE presented its 2018 Lifetime Achievement Georgian Award in Epilepsy to Prof. Federico Vigevano, Chief of U.O.C. of Neurology Children's Hospital, Director of the Neurosciences and Neurorehabilitation Department Children's Hospital Bambino Gesù.

The award was given to Prof. Federico Vigevano in honour of his exceptional and outstanding personal contributions over a long period of time to activities that advance the epilepsy education and care in Georgia. These contributions and activities have had a special impact and significance.View Award

More conference photos:

 

Activities (2016-2017)

For Professionals

Conferences and Meetings

• ILAE/CEA-GLAE International Caucasian Summer School (2016, Tbilisi, Georgia).
• 1st Conference & Workshop of the German-Georgian Project: “EpilepCure Hallmarks of epileptic brain activity”, Georgian National Academy of Science, Tbilisi, Georgia (2017)
• Preparation of the International Conference “Infantile epilepsy in light of new ILAE classification-new terminology, etiology and treatment perspectives”, Tbilisi, Georgia (2018)
• Local Meetings of GLAE members (Twice per year).
• Plenary session on pediatric/adult epilepsy care in a frame of Local Conference (Annual Meeting) of Georgian Academy of Neurology, Tbilisi, Georgia (2017)

Education

• 1st Educational Course on Clinical Electroencephalography (duration 8 months)
• Educational conference on New Classifications of Epilepsies for its implementation (2017)
• Educational conference on New Classification of Seizures for its implementation (2017)
• Meetings regarding “News in Epileptology” on the base of Institute of Neurology and Neuropsychology (INN) (every month)
• Master-classes in Pre-surgical Evaluation of good candidates for epilepsy surgeryamong people with drug-resistant epilepsy in a frame of German-Georgian Project: EpilepCure Hallmarks of epileptic brain activity” in Epilepsy Prevention and control Centre,Tbilisi, Georgia (2017)
• One month intensive training of the EMU group (epileptologist/neurophysiologist/neurosurgeon) on the base of Epilepsy Center Berlin Brandenburg, Charité Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Germany.

ILAE/VIREPA/other - Teaching Courses: Young physicians in EU countries and USA were trained on

• Clinical epileptology
• EEG investigations (basic, clinical –pediatric/adults, sleep-EEG, EEG-score)
• New antiepileptic drugs (EILAT)
• Genetic testing
• Ketogenic diet
• MRI/fMRI-Epilepsy Protocol
• Epilepsy surgery (pre-surgical evaluation and surgery)

Research

International

• German-Georgian Project: “EpilepCure Hallmarks of epileptic brain activity” (Donor – Ministry of Education and Sciences of Germany)
• EP0034 – Multicentre, open-Label, Long-term extension study to investigate the efficacy and safety of Lacosamide as adjunctive therapy in pediatric subjects with epilepsy with partial-onset seizures (Phase 3)(UCB Biosciences Inc).
• SP0969-Multicenter, double blind, randomized, placebo controlled, parallel group study to evaluate the of efficacy and safety of lacosamide (LCM) as adjunctive therapy in subjects with epilepsy ≥4 years to
• SP-0967 -Multicenter, double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled, parallel-group study to evaluate the efficacy and safety of Lacosamide as adjunctive therapy in subjects with epilepsy ≥1 month to
• Five pragmatic random studies comparing Levetiracetam effectiveness with Lamotrigine, Carbamazepine and Sodium Valproate in newly diagnosed untreated epilepsies (EpiNet Study)
• European Registry on Antiepileptic Drugs and Pregnancy (EURAP)

Local

• Epidemiology and risk-factors of pharmaco-resistance epilepsy In Batumi Region
• Validation of a Georgian version of the Neurological Disorders Depression Inventory for Epilepsy (NDDI-E)
• Peculiarities of Depression and other psychiatric disorders in people with Epilepsy and (Founded by the Caucasus International University, Tbilisi, Georgia)
• Clinical Audit of Epilepsy Care in Gurjaani Region of Georgia (founded by the EU – Kakheti Reginal Development Foundation).
• Thesis “Stigma and Self-stigma in Adolescents with Epilepsy” (2017)
• Thesis “Cognitive functions in children exposed to anticonvulsants in utero” (founded by the Shota Rustaveli National Scientific Foundation)(2017)
• Thesis on Epidemiology and risk-factors of pharmaco-resistant epilepsy in Georgia (founded by the Shota Rustaveli National Scientific Foundation)(2017)
• Thesis “Working Memory Deficit in Patients with Temporal and Frontal Lobe Epilepsies” (2017)

Publications

Articles

• Mosiashvili Zh., Kasradze S., Gagoshidze T. Working Memory Deficit in Patients with Temporal and Frontal Lobe Epilepsy (2017). JSM Brain Science 2(2):2015.
• Alkhidze M., Lomidze G., Kasradze S., Tsiskaridze A. Characteristics and predictive biomarkers of drug resistant epilepsy - study in Georgia.Neuroimmunol Neuroinflamation 2017;4:191-8.
• Kasradze S, Gogatishvili N, Lomidze G, Ediberidze T, Lazariashvili M, Khomeriki K, Mamukadze S, Metreveli M, Gagoshidze T., Tatishvili N., Tomson T. Cognitive functions in children exposed to antiepileptic drugs in utero - Study in Georgia. Epilepsy Behav. 2017 Jan;66:105-112. doi: 10.1016/j.yebeh.2016.10.014.
• Gogatishvili N. Khachapuridze N., Ediberidze T., Lomidze G., Mamukadze Sh, Gagoshidze T., Kasradze S. Differenc aspects of cognitive functioning and Autism in Children with anticonvulsive exposure during pregnancy. Experimental and Clinical Medicine 2017; 1:40-43 (Georgian)
• Silagadze K., Kasradze S. Psychogenic non-epileptic seizures. Therapia (Georgian) 2017; 1(6):12-14.
• Gogatishvili N., Khachapuridze N., Japaridze G., Kasradze S. Epileptic seizures and EEG-future in children with anticonvulsive exposure during the fetal period. Experimental and Clinical Medicine 2017; 1:72-76 (Georgian)
• Japaridze G, Kasradze S, Lomidze G, Zhizhiashvili L, Kvernadze D, Geladze K, Beniczky S. Focal EEG features and therapeutic response in patients with juvenile absence and myoclonic epilepsy. Clin Neurophysiol. 2016 Feb;127(2):1182-1187. doi: 10.1016/j.clinph.2015.11.048.
• Gogatisvili N., Kasradze S. Reccomendation on treatment with Valproate for yeang women and women et childbearing ages.Therapia (Georgian) 2016; 4(5):13-15.
• Kasradze S., Alkhidze M., Lomidze G., Japaridze G., Tsiskaridze A. Perspectives of epilepsy surgery in resource poor countries: A study in Georgia. Acta Neurochirurgica (2015) 157:1533-1540.

 Guidelines and Protocols (in Georgian)

• Guideline – Diagnosis and Treatnment of Epilepsy (Kasradze S., Kvernadze D., Lomidze G) (2017)
• Guideline – Diagnosis, Treatment and Management of Status Epilepticus (Kasradze S., Kvernadze D., Alkhidze M., Jishkariani T., Ediberidze T. and Gogatishvili N.)(2017)
• Protocol – Management of the first unprovoked seizure (KAsradze S., Kvernadze D., Lomidze G) (2017)
• Protocol-Epilepsy Management at Primary Health Care Settings (Kasradze S., Kvernadze D., Lomidze G., Silagadze K)(2017)
• Protocol - Neuro-imaging for Patients with epilepsy (Kasradze S., Okujava M., Lomidze G.)(2017)
• Protocol – Protocol for Imaging infants and children with new-onset epilepsy (Kasradze S., Okujava M., Lomidze G.)(2017)
• Protocol – Diagnosis and Management of Pharmacoresistant Epilepsy (Kasradze S., Kvernadze D., Alkhidze M., Lomidze G.)(2017)
• Protocol – Management of the Convulsive Status Epilepticus (Tatishvili N., Shatirisahvili T., Kipiani T., Dikhamindjia N., Tujishvili M., Chikvinidze G.)(2017)

Services

• EMU –was established
• Longterm EEG -Telemetry and pre-surgical evaluation of people with pharmacoresistant epilepsies was started in Georgia under the supervision of International Experts.
• Multidisciplinary (neurologist-epileptologist, neuropsychologist, psychiatrist, standard EEG, high resolution MRI) diagnoses center by the National Guidelines and Protocols (pediatric/adults) became a mandatory format;
• More than 48% of people with epilepsy living in Georgia are investigated and registered in Epilepsy Registry at the Epilepsy Prevention and Control Centre of the INN (since 2005)
• Video-EEG monitoring was actively included in differential diagnosis of epilepsy and non-epileptic events.
• Basic genetic investigations was started in Georgia
• Established Regional Epilepsy Centre in Kutaisi (Imereti region of Georgia)(2017).

Social Events

• Organizing of “European epilepsy day” and “World Epilepsy Day” (in 2016 and in 2017)
• Public Lectures on Epilepsy in Akaki Tsereteli University (Kutaisi, Georgia) and in David Tvildiani medical School “AIETY” (Tbilisi, Georgia)
• TV-broadcasts on epilepsy (16 in 2017)

Activities (2013-2015)

For Professionals:

Conferences and meetings:

• ILAE/CEA-GLAE International Caucasian Summer School (2014, every two years).
• International Conference devoted to 65th anniversary of Georgian Clinical Neurophysiology (2013)
• International Conference “New Horizons on Epilepsy” (2014, every two years).
• Local Meetings of GLAE members (every year).
• Educational events – round table on the base of Epilepsy Prevention and Control Centre (Institute of Neurology and Neuropsychology and Iashvili pediatric clinic) (every month)
• Conference on new antiepileptic drugs (tree in 2013, three in 2014)

Research

Local

• Epidemiology and risk-factors of pharmaco-resistance epilepsy In Georgia (Founded by the Shota Rustaveli National Scientific foundation)
• Rare epilepsy syndromes (Founded by the Shota Rustaveli National Scientific foundation)
• Sleep disorders in children with epilepsy (Founded by the Shota Rustaveli National Scientific foundation)
• Quality of life in people with epilepsy in Georgia and Turkey: a comparative study (Founded by the Shota Rustaveli National Scientific foundation and Embassy of Turkey in Georgia)
• Detrimental effect of utero exposure an antiepileptic drugs on the cognitive functioning in later stages of life (Founded by the Shota Rustaveli National Scientific foundation)
• Analyzes the data of national epilepsy registry (annually)(Georgian State Program on Epilepsy).
• Thesis on Risk-factors for the outcome of convulsive status epilepticus in children.
• Thesis on Epidemiology of Epilepsies in Georgia (Demonstration Project on Epilepsy and Georgian State program on Epilepsy)
• Thesis on Quality of Life in people with epilepsy living in Georgia (Demonstration Project on Epilepsy and Georgian State program on Epilepsy)

International

• EURAP
• EpiNet
• EEG-SCORE
• Antiepileptic drug trial (Lacozamide)

Publications

• Kobulashvili T., Lomidze G., Kasradze S., Sander J.W. Premature mortality in a Georgian cohort of people with epilepsy. Epilepsy Research (2013) 107, 318-322.
• Gzirishvili N., Kasradze S., Lomidze G., Okujava N., Toidze O., de Boer HM., Sander JW. Knowledge, attitudes, and stigma towards epilepsy in different walks of life: a study in Georgia. Epilepsy Behav. 2013;27(2):315-8.

Education

Published Guidelines (in Georgian)

• on prevention, diagnosis and care of epilepsy
• on EEG investigations for technicians

Published Protocols (in Georgian)

• screening-protocol for epileptic seizures
• protocol for screening of epilepsy
• protocol of MRI investigation for adult people with epilepsy
• Protocol of MRI investigation for children with epilepsy
• protocol for status epilepticus in children
• protocol for status epilepticus in adults
• protocol for management of pharmacoresistant epilepsy
• protocol for management of West syndrome
• protocol for pregnancy management in women with epilepsy
• protocol for EEG Investigation
• protocol for behavioral testing during seizures
• protocol for video-EEG telemetry
• protocol for Clinical management of children on ketogenic diet

Prepared and acknowledged with MoH of Georgia “Curriculum on Clinical Electroencephalography”.
VIREPA-courses –young physicians were trained on

• clinical epileptology
• Neurovisualisation
• EEG investigations (basic, clinical –pediatric/adults, sleep-EEG, EEG-score)
• genetics of epilepsy

Services

• Multidisciplinary (neurologist-epileptologist, neuropsychologist, psychiatrist, standard EEG, high resolution MRI) diagnoses in specialized epilepsy center by the National Guidelines and Protocols (pediatric/adults); more than 40% of people with epilepsy living in Georgia are investigated and registered in Epilepsy Registry (since 2005)
• Drug monitoring (All old and new AEDs, some newest AEDs)
• Video-EEG monitoring (since 2014).
• EEG -Telemetry and pre-surgical evaluation of persons with pharmacoresistant epilepsy (36 cases) (since 2014).
• Starting of Epilepsy Surgery in collaboration with professionals from Turkey (Ozkara C., Uzan M.) - two adult cases were operated in Georgia; four Georgian patients were operated in Turkey (one child, three adults) (2014).

Social events

• Organizing of “European epilepsy day” (2013, 2014, 2015)
• Organizing “World Epilepsy Day” in collaboration with patient’s association “LOCUS”, “Georgian Association of Young Epileptologists” (Ass. member of IBE) and Epilepsy Prevention and Control Centre.
• Concert of charity for supporting of people with epilepsy in France organized by Georgian Diaspora and family members of people with epilepsy living in France.
• TV-broadcasts on epilepsy (seven in 2013, twelve in 2014, six in 2015)
• Radio broadcasts on epilepsy (eleven in 2013, six in 2014, seven in 2015)
• Trainings for regional school teachers on first aid of epileptic seizure (11 schools in Batumi, 7 schools in Telavi).