Health committee  That is a broad question that deserves an answer from a number of people. It is a concern for everyone, not just...

Health committee  I think Mrs. Sellah was trying to point out that this is a major question that concerns everyone. She wanted to ask it publicly because it concerns large pharmaceutical companies. And who can reach them? Who can get information to them and who can persuade them? I think it is app

Health committee  Lack of sleep is a major factor. Of course, not following the treatment, not taking the medication properly is another. Stress is yet another factor. There are a number of factors, but lack of sleep is one of the most significant ones. Most people still do well. As organizations,

Health committee  As I mentioned earlier, epilepsy can occur at any time of life. Though we see it in elementary school children, we also see it in the elderly. I got that information from a neurologist. It is also quite common in the elderly because of different problems. However, it can happen a

Health committee  Right. There is what is called sudden unexplained death in epilepsy. Because of the losses of life, I think, we have started to talk about it in recent years. It can occur with males and females from a young age to early adulthood. We are hearing about it more and more. It is no

Health committee  I think the best reaction is similar to the one I recently saw from a bus. I saw a young man fall to his knees outside a metro station. A lady came up, knelt down with him and stayed with him. I feel that was the best possible reaction. It's the same thing at work. Sometimes, a p

Health committee  You can also ask Ms. Iris Elliott that question, because she wanted to say something about it too. There are different kinds of seizures. There is the family of generalized seizures, the first of which is called the absence seizure. Absence seizures are not really visible; they

Health committee  You should not try to restrict the person's movements. You have to follow them. If the seizure happens in a room, good. But if the seizure happens outside, it is different. We have seen a young woman get up and walk quickly outside. It's rare, but it happens. Someone must be at t

Health committee  No, I do not know the exact percentage of people who have suffered brain trauma as a result of traffic accidents, workplace accidents, and so on. We know that about 30% of people with epilepsy have more acute, more refractory seizures. We know that these refractory, more acute f

Health committee  Epilepsy often occurs with elementary school children. The first seizures often occur between the ages of six and 12, but they can occur at any age. But it is a little more frequent among elementary school children. That is why we have such a big presence in schools. We are creat

Health committee  I think it has to be done very simply. Actually, most seizures last only a few seconds and need very little intervention. What is much more important, as the hon. member said, is the attitude of people in the vicinity. That is what we work on most. Educating people is an importan

Health committee  The workplace always represents a major challenge for people with epilepsy. A number of them have both the potential to work and the training they need. Everything is fine as long as they do not have a seizure. But the moment they do have a seizure, everything can change. One gi

Health committee  Ladies and gentlemen, members of the Standing Committee on Health, good morning. I'm pleased to be here today and to represent the Canadian Epilepsy Alliance, as well as everyone served by our 25 member associations in Canada. Épilepsie Montréal Métropolitain is a founding membe