Australian Epilepsy Project

The Australian Epilepsy Project has established a new standard of care for epilepsy based on a newly developed, AI enabled, brain health platform that can shorten the journey from epilepsy diagnosis through to management by up to 15 years. Over Australians live with epilepsy, a devastating, misunderstood and often hidden condition. 1 in 10 Australians will have a seizure in their lifetime, 1 in 25 will be diagnosed with epilepsy. More than 50 million people live with epilepsy worldwide and 30%(15 million) cannot find suitable medication to manage their seizures. Epilepsy is the second most burdensome neurological condition after dementia and is estimated to cost $12.3 billion a year in public healthcare. The platform is a national solution that already connects patients with over 160 neurologists across Australia, and translates over 30 years of Florey research in imaging, genetics and psychology into patient outcomes positively impacting the lives of many Australians living with or recently diagnosed with epilepsy. Impact is focused on democratising access to advanced epilepsy diagnostics at scale including tests which are not widely available under the current standard of care. This includes advanced MRI, neuropsychological assessments, and genetic testing. This is significantly important for patients experiencing their first seizure and/or have been newly diagnosed with epilepsy. On average, it can take 15+ years for patients to find access to diagnostics available as part of the AEP, and usually after they have tried several treatments without success. Epilepsy is just the beginning. The AEP is designed to be a platform model for brain healthcare and research. We need to understand genetic risks, structural make-up and functioning to identify causes and predict intervention outcomes. This is highly applicable to other brain health issues such as dementia, concussion, and mental health.