Memory problems are the most frequent complaints in epilepsy patients, and with 3 million people in the US suffering from epilepsy, this condition needs to be addressed. In response, the Northeast Regional Epilepsy Group (NEREG) is introducing new locations to the only existing memory treatment program on January 24 in Staten Island and on January 26 in Middletown, NY.
NEREG's six-week group program will provide patients with information about how memory works and teach strategies to compensate for memory weaknesses. The goals of the program are:
- To understand memory processes and how epilepsy affects these processes
- To recognize personal strengths and weaknesses in thinking procedures
- To develop and consistently use compensatory memory techniques
- To improve planning, organization, and time management skills
According to epileptologist and NEREG Director, Marcelo Lancman, M.D., "The Northeast Regional Epilepsy Group seeks to treat patients holistically, targeting all aspects of a patient's health impacted by epilepsy. Given that more than 50% of patients referred for neuropsychological testing report memory difficulties in daily life, this comprehensive memory treatment program provides practical methods that can be implemented immediately to aid daily attention and memory functions in epilepsy."
NEREG's memory treatment programs currently begin every two months at Summit, NJ's Overlook Hospital and NEREG's Hackensack Office at the Hackensack University Medical Center. The Staten Island program at the Richmond University Medical Center and the Middletown program at the Walkill Medical Arts Center begin this week.
Is posttraumatic epilepsy associated with long-term dementia risk?