Epilepsy is considered as old as humanity and one of the most frequent disorders of the central nervous system; for some researchers it is the second neurological disease. It has passed through different cultures and times, known by different names, with a supernatural interpretation of its causes and therefore with the use of various treatments, which included exorcism and trepanation, among others, until the 19th century when Scientific and modern therapy began, which remains in full development to this day, with the incorporation of the therapeutic arsenal and alternative methods described. The affectation in the psychological, social and community sphere of the patients who suffer from it is significant, since they are among the most vulnerable in any society, with the particular stigma that this disease carries with it, which has been transmitted for generations. For this reason, it is intended to describe the aspects that the physician should take into account when he is suspected of dealing with a patient with a diagnosis of epilepsy, with the aim of trying to minimize the devastating aspects of this disease. The conference will be based on four main questions: Are we dealing with a patient with epilepsy? What type of seizures / epilepsy / syndrome does he suffer from? What is the cause of the disease? And what behavior should we follow?

Juan E. Bender del Busto, MD, PhD, is a Cuban neurologist and neurosurgeon. He graduated from Havana University School of Medicine in 1974 and earned his PhD in 2010. With expertise in epilepsy surgery, he serves as Full Professor and Researcher at CIREN, Cuba, and is President of the Cuban League Against Epilepsy Chapter since 2023.