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| Neurobehavioral Analysis of Epileptic Seizures |
| Saturday, May 28, 2016 |
| 4:00 PM–7:00 PM |
| Zurich D, Swissotel |
| Area: DDA/BPN; Domain: Applied Research |
| CE Instructor: John C. Neill, Ph.D. |
| JOHN C. NEILL (Long Island University) |
| Description: Up to 50% of individuals with severe developmental disabilities have epilepsy. Remarkably, behavior analysts are often unaware of how epilepsy impairs their client's ability to learn and remember contingencies of reinforcement. In addition, persons with epilepsy often have behavior disorders which can be exacerbated by seizures. These could be better managed, and important new life skills could be acquired, if their behavior analyst knew basic epileptology. This workshop will educate behavior analysts about epilepsy with a behavioral approach. The neuroanatomy, neurophysiology, and molecular events responsible for seizures and seizure-induced impairments in learning and behavior will be briefly reviewed. The etiology, genetics, and classification of various seizure disorders will be reviewed. Behavioral research on several animal models of seizures will be related to analog human studies. Many clients are incorrectly medicated for pseudo-seizures. Electroencephalography (EEG) is a crucial test for accurate diagnosis of epilepsy, and participants will learn how to prepare a client for cooperating with this test, without sedation or anesthesia. Epileptic seizures dynamically modulate an organism's ability to operate on their environment. Conversely, the environment often modulates the frequency, intensity and duration of epileptic seizures. Behavior analysts will benefit their clients who have epilepsy by learning about these relationships. |
| Learning Objectives: At the conclusion of the workshop, the participant will be able to: (1) define an epileptic seizure; (2) describe some of the developmental and neurological events responsible for epileptic seizures; (3) recognize the importance of measuring the effects of seizures on learning and behavior; (4) objectively describe, count, and time seizures in relation to environmental conditions, (5) recognize the importance of reviewing a client's history to determine etiology, and its particular impact on behavioral progress; (6) recognize the effects of the environment on epileptic seizures; (7) prepare a client for cooperating with EEG tests, without sedation or anesthesia; (8) discriminate pseudoepileptic versus epileptic seizures, (9) manage learning and behavior disorders effectively in clients with epilepsy. |
| Activities: Examples of epileptic and non-epileptic behaviors and state of the art ways of analyzing them with EEG and behavior analysis will be presented in lecture and video presentations. Audience questions and experiences regarding epilepsy are welcome. |
| Audience: Applied behavior analysts, special education teachers, psychologists and therapists who write behavior plans for individuals with developmental disabilities (autism, mental retardation, psychosis, cerebral palsy) and a history of seizures. |
| Content Area: Practice |
| Instruction Level: Basic |
| Keyword(s): autism, behavior analysis, electroencephalography, seizures |