Unleashing the potential of seizure dogs:an evaluation of their clinical, economic, and broader impacts in the management of epilepsy

For a small group of persons with epilepsy, seizures persist on a regular basis despite having tried available treatments. These persons have severe refractory epilepsy. Seizure dogs have gained attention as a potential solution to help address the seizure-related risks and emotional challenges faced by these individuals. Seizure dogs undergo specialised training to recognise and respond to the unique characteristics of their owner's seizures. The aim of a seizure dog partnership is to enhance safety and provide emotional support during episodes. Anecdotal reports and exploratory studies hint at the potential of seizure dogs to improve quality of life and reduce seizure frequency in their owners. Yet, there is no robust, scientific evidence on the benefits of seizure dogs and this has been a barrier to their inclusion in reimbursed care packages. The goal of this thesis, embedded in the EPISODE (EPIlepsy SuppOrt Dog Evaluation) study, was to conduct an extensive evaluation of the potential of seizure dogs as an assistive care service for adult PSREs. The chapters of this thesis describe the results of studies into the burden of illness of adults with severe refractory epilepsy and the clinical effectiveness, cost-effectiveness, and broader impacts of this intervention.The Chapters of this thesis illustrated the multifaceted potential of seizure dogs for a severely burdened population. It demonstrated seizure dogs reduce seizure frequency and enhance the quality of life of persons with severe refractory epilepsy and their informal caregivers, and that it very likely concerns a cost-effective complement to usual care in the Netherlands. Yet, not all adults with severe refractory epilepsy benefit equally, as evidenced by considerable variation in outcomes, mixed experiences, and a significant rate of discontinuation of seizure dog trajectories. These insights assist stakeholders with balancing the considerations of clinical effectiveness, cost-effectiveness, and broader impacts when appraising the potential of seizure dogs. Additionally, the EPISODE study serves as an illustrative case study of the application of established methods for economic evaluations to non-pharmacological interventions and episodic conditions.<br/

THE CONCISE GUIDE TO PHARMACOLOGY 2019/20 : G protein- coupled receptors

The Concise Guide to PHARMACOLOGY 2019/20 is the fourth in this series of biennial publications. The Concise Guide provides concise overviews of the key properties of nearly 1800 human drug targets with an emphasis on selective pharmacology (where available), plus links to the open access knowledgebase source of drug targets and their ligands (www.guidetopharmacology.org), which provides more detailed views of target and ligand properties. Although the Concise Guide represents approximately 400 pages, the material presented is substantially reduced compared to information and links presented on the website. It provides a permanent, citable, point-in-time record that will survive database updates. The full contents of this section can be found at http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/bph.14748. G protein-coupled receptors are one of the six major pharmacological targets into which the Guide is divided, with the others being: ion channels, nuclear hormone receptors, catalytic receptors, enzymes and transporters. These are presented with nomenclature guidance and summary information on the best available pharmacological tools, alongside key references and suggestions for further reading. The landscape format of the Concise Guide is designed to facilitate comparison of related targets from material contemporary to mid-2019, and supersedes data presented in the 2017/18, 2015/16 and 2013/14 Concise Guides and previous Guides to Receptors and Channels. It is produced in close conjunction with the International Union of Basic and Clinical Pharmacology Committee on Receptor Nomenclature and Drug Classification (NC-IUPHAR), therefore, providing official IUPHAR classification and nomenclature for human drug targets, where appropriate.Peer reviewe

THE CONCISE GUIDE TO PHARMACOLOGY 2021/22: G protein-coupled receptors.

The Concise Guide to PHARMACOLOGY 2021/22 is the fifth in this series of biennial publications. The Concise Guide provides concise overviews, mostly in tabular format, of the key properties of nearly 1900 human drug targets with an emphasis on selective pharmacology (where available), plus links to the open access knowledgebase source of drug targets and their ligands (www.guidetopharmacology.org), which provides more detailed views of target and ligand properties. Although the Concise Guide constitutes over 500 pages, the material presented is substantially reduced compared to information and links presented on the website. It provides a permanent, citable, point-in-time record that will survive database updates. The full contents of this section can be found at http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/bph.15538. G protein-coupled receptors are one of the six major pharmacological targets into which the Guide is divided, with the others being: ion channels, nuclear hormone receptors, catalytic receptors, enzymes and transporters. These are presented with nomenclature guidance and summary information on the best available pharmacological tools, alongside key references and suggestions for further reading. The landscape format of the Concise Guide is designed to facilitate comparison of related targets from material contemporary to mid-2021, and supersedes data presented in the 2019/20, 2017/18, 2015/16 and 2013/14 Concise Guides and previous Guides to Receptors and Channels. It is produced in close conjunction with the Nomenclature and Standards Committee of the International Union of Basic and Clinical Pharmacology (NC-IUPHAR), therefore, providing official IUPHAR classification and nomenclature for human drug targets, where appropriate

The Concise Guide to PHARMACOLOGY 2023/24: G protein-coupled receptors.

peer reviewedThe Concise Guide to PHARMACOLOGY 2023/24 is the sixth in this series of biennial publications. The Concise Guide provides concise overviews, mostly in tabular format, of the key properties of approximately 1800 drug targets, and about 6000 interactions with about 3900 ligands. There is an emphasis on selective pharmacology (where available), plus links to the open access knowledgebase source of drug targets and their ligands (https://www.guidetopharmacology.org), which provides more detailed views of target and ligand properties. Although the Concise Guide constitutes almost 500 pages, the material presented is substantially reduced compared to information and links presented on the website. It provides a permanent, citable, point-in-time record that will survive database updates. The full contents of this section can be found at http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/bph.16177. G protein-coupled receptors are one of the six major pharmacological targets into which the Guide is divided, with the others being: ion channels, nuclear hormone receptors, catalytic receptors, enzymes and transporters. These are presented with nomenclature guidance and summary information on the best available pharmacological tools, alongside key references and suggestions for further reading. The landscape format of the Concise Guide is designed to facilitate comparison of related targets from material contemporary to mid-2023, and supersedes data presented in the 2021/22, 2019/20, 2017/18, 2015/16 and 2013/14 Concise Guides and previous Guides to Receptors and Channels. It is produced in close conjunction with the Nomenclature and Standards Committee of the International Union of Basic and Clinical Pharmacology (NC-IUPHAR), therefore, providing official IUPHAR classification and nomenclature for human drug targets, where appropriate

Unleashing the potential of seizure dogs:an evaluation of their clinical, economic, and broader impacts in the management of epilepsy

For a small group of persons with epilepsy, seizures persist on a regular basis despite having tried available treatments. These persons have severe refractory epilepsy. Seizure dogs have gained attention as a potential solution to help address the seizure-related risks and emotional challenges faced by these individuals. Seizure dogs undergo specialised training to recognise and respond to the unique characteristics of their owner's seizures. The aim of a seizure dog partnership is to enhance safety and provide emotional support during episodes. Anecdotal reports and exploratory studies hint at the potential of seizure dogs to improve quality of life and reduce seizure frequency in their owners. Yet, there is no robust, scientific evidence on the benefits of seizure dogs and this has been a barrier to their inclusion in reimbursed care packages. The goal of this thesis, embedded in the EPISODE (EPIlepsy SuppOrt Dog Evaluation) study, was to conduct an extensive evaluation of the potential of seizure dogs as an assistive care service for adult PSREs. The chapters of this thesis describe the results of studies into the burden of illness of adults with severe refractory epilepsy and the clinical effectiveness, cost-effectiveness, and broader impacts of this intervention.The Chapters of this thesis illustrated the multifaceted potential of seizure dogs for a severely burdened population. It demonstrated seizure dogs reduce seizure frequency and enhance the quality of life of persons with severe refractory epilepsy and their informal caregivers, and that it very likely concerns a cost-effective complement to usual care in the Netherlands. Yet, not all adults with severe refractory epilepsy benefit equally, as evidenced by considerable variation in outcomes, mixed experiences, and a significant rate of discontinuation of seizure dog trajectories. These insights assist stakeholders with balancing the considerations of clinical effectiveness, cost-effectiveness, and broader impacts when appraising the potential of seizure dogs. Additionally, the EPISODE study serves as an illustrative case study of the application of established methods for economic evaluations to non-pharmacological interventions and episodic conditions.<br/

The potential impact of digital biomarkers in multiple sclerosis in the netherlands

(1) Background: Monitoring of Multiple Sclerosis (MS) with eHealth interventions or digital biomarkers provides added value to the current care path. Evidence in the literature is currently scarce. MS sherpa is an eHealth intervention with digital