Australian Epilepsy Project (AEP)
Australia only
The AEP is a multi-year research study and platform business model for brain health and research translation, creating a paradigm shift in the treatment and management of epilepsy – where participants get access to the best minds and latest technology, usually only available within research, to fast-track their treatment pathway.
AEP gives access to advanced testing (MRI, neuropsychology, and genetics) to better guide individualised epilepsy diagnosis and treatment.
The AEP platform will provide benefits to each person with epilepsy from day one through:
Access to advanced testing
Using Artificial Intelligence to create precision diagnosis
Reducing the uncertainty that characterises epilepsy care today
Creating advanced diagnostic tools
Sign-up is fast and easy
If you have epilepsy - or even if you don't - you may be suitable to be involved in this ground-breaking project! Learn more here!
AEP Hubs are located in Melbourne at Austin Health and Alfred Health, John Hunter Hospital in Newcastle and Mater Hospital in Brisbane, with Sydney and Adelaide expected to be operational later this year.
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AEP Participants: If you have been newly diagnosed with epilepsy, have recently experienced your first unprovoked seizure, or have been diagnosed with drug-resistant epilepsy, you may be eligible to join and gain access to advanced testing across imaging, cognition, and genetics, to improve your treatment pathway. Our Clinical Trials team then contacts the treating neurologist to confirm your eligibility and obtain the referral (as per our protocol). Learn more here or check out the Participant brochure here.
Control Group: If you do not have epilepsy but seek to improve the lives of people affected, you can also be involved in our control study group!! If you are interested in volunteering for our control group, please contact us at: aep-contact@florey.edu.au . Learn more here or see the Control Group brochure, here.
Clinicians: Might you have any patients interested in being involved/who could benefit? Learn more here or see the Clinician brochure, here.
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We are passionate about improving the lives of people experiencing seizures and have a dedicated team working on reducing the burden on people living with epilepsy.
The Australian Epilepsy Project (AEP) is a multi-year research study and platform business model that aims to change this, by developing a national network of specialist hubs giving access to advanced MRI scans, genetic analysis, and cognitive testing - advanced testing that isn’t ordinarily available - to provide more precise diagnoses and treatment outcomes for people living with epilepsy.
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More than a quarter of a million people in Australia live with epilepsy - a condition that severely impacts a person's quality of life, from health, safety, and independence, through to employment limitations and poor mental health outcomes.
The effects of epilepsy on an individual’s productivity and total years of life lost are staggering.
- Epilepsy is the second most burdensome neurological condition after dementia
- Epilepsy is estimated to cost $12.3 billion a year in public healthcare
- Epilepsy accounts for 14.6% of the burden of disease of all neurological conditions
- For the 14,000 new cases of epilepsy in 2019-20 in Australia, the lifetime costs of the disease are $22.2 billion
Across the lifetime of Australians currently living with epilepsy, if an additional 10% of people were to live seizure free it would equate to (and this is a conservatively modelled estimate):
- 1,600 fewer deaths
- 8,000 fewer Years of Life Lost
- 35,000 Productivity Adjusted Life Years gained
- 95,000 Quality Adjusted Life Years gained
- $1.1B savings in in direct healthcare and welfare
- $7.8B increase in GDP
If you have epilepsy - or even if you don't - you may be suitable to be involved in this study! Learn more here!