 Provided by ReachMD
Updates to Guidelines for Treating
Pregnant Women With Epilepsy
on NeuroFrontiers
Produced in Cooperation with American Academy of Neurology
Treating epilepsy during pregnancy can be a significant challenge. What are the safest medications for pregnant patients with epilepsy? Host Dr. Anthony Alessi and Dr. Cynthia Harden, professor of neurology and director of the epilepsy division at the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, review the most recent 2009 guidelines for the care of these patients.
 Dr. Anthony Alessi is chief of neurology and the medical director of the stroke program at the William W. Backus Hospital in Norwich, Connecticut, and in private practice at NeuroDiagnostics LLC in Norwich. Dr. Alessi specializes in neuromuscular diseases and sports medicine. He is a nuerologic consultant to UCONN Athletics, the New York Yankees, the San Francisco Giants. Since 1997, he has worked to improve safety in the sport of boxing, and is the ringside physician to the Connecticut State Boxing Commission, where he is a resource when decisions need to made regarding whether a boxing contest can continue. Dr. Alessi is a member of the American Academy of Neurology, American Association of Neuromuscular and Electrodiagnostic Medicine, American Association of Professional Ringside Physicians, American College of Physician Executives, American College of Sports Medicine, Connecticut State Medical Society, Connecticut Neurological Society, New London County Medical Association, American Medical Students Association of Rome, and the Italian Neurological Society.
Dr. Cynthia L. Harden is professor of neurology and director of the epilepsy division at the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine. Dr. Harden has lectured and conducted continuing medical education courses on a diverse list of epilepsy-related issues— including women’s and children’s concerns, the uses of new antiepileptic drugs, the effect of newer antiseizure treatments on sexual function, and new avenues for treating brain disease—to such groups as the American Academy of Neurology, the American Psychiatric Association, and the New York Academy of Medicine. A member of several professional societies, including the American Epilepsy Society and the American Academy of Neurology, Dr. Harden serves as an officer in the epilepsy section of the Academy and is a member of its Therapeutics and Technology Assessment Subcommittee. Dr. Harden’s research interests include assessing the effects of hormonal changes on epilepsy. For instance, in a study where Andrew Herzog, MD, MSc, is principal investigator, which is supported by the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, she is exploring the effect of progesterone treatment versus placebo in women with epilepsy. Under a similar grant, Dr. Harden was principal investigator in another study where she assessed hormone replacement therapy in menopausal women. Her privately funded research includes investigating the effects of add-on anastrozole in men with epilepsy. Dr. Harden has also examined mood and anxiety disorders in people with epilepsy in response to various treatments and psychogenic pseudoseizures. Dr. Harden is an ad hoc reviewer for Neurology and Epilepsy Research, among other journals. She has also authored or collaborated on nearly a score of book chapters and more than 35 articles for peer-reviewed journals, such as Epilepsia, Pediatric Neurology, the Journal of Epilepsy, and the Journal of Neuroscience. After earning her medical degree at the University of Wisconsin Medical School in Madison, Dr. Harden served her internship and a year’s residency in internal medicine at St. Luke’s Hospital in New York City. She stayed in New York City to complete her residency training in neurology at Mount Sinai Hospital and a fellowship in clinical neurophysiology at Albert Einstein College of Medicine.
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