Whilst the mainstay of treatment for the great majority of people with epilepsy will remain the use of antiepileptic medicines, this approach still leaves at least 30% of the men and women who have an ID and epilepsy with continuing seizures and a range of associated challenges.

We are currently working to improve the understanding and management of antiepileptic drug-resistant seizures in this population through a series of studies based on non-pharmacological approaches. We are working to better understand the possible role of environmental factors in triggering seizures in a study funded by Epilepsy Action and we are undertaking work that aims to improve the detection of seizures in this population, using advanced signal analysis of brain, heart and limb activity, funded by the CLAHRC East of England and the NIHR Health Technology Cooperative for brain injury.

With respect to management of epilepsy in adults with ID, in a multicentre cluster-randomised trial funded by the NIHR HTA programme, we are studying how the skills of specialist epilepsy nurses can be used to improve clinical outcomes.