Epilepsy -- Copyright -- Contents -- Contributor List -- Series Foreword -- Preface -- Part I Epilepsy Basics -- 1 Recognizing Seizures and Epilepsy: Insights from Pathophysiology -- Introduction -- Definitions -- Classification of seizures and epilepsies -- Pathophysiology -- Seizure mimics -- Overview of medication mechanisms of action -- Conclusion -- Bibliography -- 2 Classifying Epileptic Seizures and the Epilepsies -- Introduction -- Generalized and focal seizures -- Generalized and focal epilepsies -- Electroclinical syndromes or epilepsy syndromes -- Etiology of epilepsy -- Conclusions -- Bibliography -- 3 What Causes Epilepsy? -- Introduction -- Idiopathic epilepsies -- Symptomatic epilepsies -- Provoked epilepsies -- Conclusion -- Bibliography -- 4 Epidemiology of Seizures and Epilepsy -- Incidence and prevalence -- Incidence studies -- Prevalence studies -- Prognosis -- Mortality -- The future -- Bibliography -- Part II Working Up Seizures and Epilepsy -- 5 Diagnosing and Localizing Seizures at the Bedside and in Clinic -- Is it a seizure? -- What are the surrounding circumstances? Past medical history, provoking factors, and the neurological examination -- What kind of seizure is this? Focal (partial) versus generalized -- Summary -- Bibliography -- 6 Psychogenic Nonepileptic Episodes -- Introduction: Clinical features -- Epidemiology -- Diagnosis -- Differential diagnosis -- Treatment -- Conclusion -- Bibliography -- 7 What Can the EEG Tell Us? -- Introduction -- Epilepsy -- Encephalopathy -- Summary -- 8 What Can Neuroimaging Tell Us? -- Introduction -- Imaging in the initial evaluation of epilepsy -- Advanced neuroimaging in pharmacoresistent epilepsy -- Conclusions -- Bibliography -- 9 Workup of New-Onset Seizures -- Introduction -- Differential diagnosis -- Clinical history and examination -- Neurodiagnostic evaluation.

Treatment after a first seizure -- Patient education -- Conclusion -- Bibliography -- 10 Evaluation of the Patient with Medically Refractory Epilepsy -- Introduction -- Diagnosis of refractory epilepsy -- Determining seizure type -- Pseudo-intractability -- Etiology -- Referral to a tertiary center -- Conclusion and summary -- Acknowledgment -- Bibliography -- Part III Using Antiepileptic Medications -- 11 Choosing, Initiating, Adjusting, and Changing Antiepileptic Medications -- When to start AEDs -- Choosing the AED -- Identifying potentially effective agents -- Comparing efficacy -- Safety and adverse effect concerns determine the final choice -- Other factors influencing drug choice -- Initiating the AED -- Optimizing compliance -- Adjusting the dose -- When and how to try other AEDs -- Drug-resistant epilepsy -- Conclusions -- References -- 12 Antiepileptic Drug Adverse Effects: What to Watch Out For -- Introduction -- Common adverse effects -- Uncommon and idiosyncratic adverse reactions -- Teratogenicity and neurodevelopmental adverse effects -- Conclusion -- Acknowledgements -- Bibliography -- 13 Antiepileptic Drug Interactions -- Introduction -- Anticipating and predicting metabolic interactions -- Prevention and management of adverse antiepileptic drug interactions -- Pharmacokinetic interactions between antiepileptic drugs -- Pharmacokinetic interactions between antiepileptic drugs and non-antiepileptic drugs -- Summary -- Acknowledgement -- Bibliography -- 14 Recognizing Intractability to Antiepileptic Medication -- Introduction -- Natural history of epilepsy and expected response to antiepileptic drug (AED) therapy -- Definition of drug resistance in epilepsy -- Intractability: Etiology and epilepsy syndrome -- Optimal strategy for trying medication that will make it possible to recognize intractability earlier.

Conclusion and treatment implications of drug resistance in epilepsy -- Bibliography -- 15 Optimizing Antiepileptic Drug Therapy in Refractory Epilepsy -- Introduction: When are patients "refractory"? -- More antiepileptic drug trials versus surgery -- General approach to the refractory patient -- Antiepileptic drugs in refractory generalized versus localization-related epilepsy -- Summary -- Bibliography -- 16 Rescue Medications for Home Treatment of Acute Seizures -- Conditions requiring acute drug administration -- Drugs for acute anticonvulsive intervention -- Procedures -- Strategies -- Conclusions -- Bibliography -- 17 When and How to Stop Antiepileptic Drugs -- Introduction -- When to stop an AED -- Risks and benefits -- How to stop an AED -- Conclusions -- Bibliography -- 18 Using Parenteral Antiepileptic Medications -- Introduction -- Agents -- Future perspectives -- Bibliography -- 19 Pharmacopeia -- Bibliography -- Part IV: Special Topics in Pediatric Epilepsy -- 20 Seizures in the Neonate -- Introduction -- Clinical features -- Diagnosis -- Differential diagnosis -- Treatment -- Future perspectives -- Bibliography -- 21 Benign and Malignant Childhood Epilepsies -- "Benign" childhood epilepsies -- "Malignant" childhood epilepsies -- Bibliography -- 22 Epilepsy: When to Perform a Genetic Analysis -- Introduction -- Tools for genetic testing in epilepsy -- When to perform genetic testing in epilepsy -- Genetic counseling in epilepsy -- Conclusion and future perspectives -- Bibliography -- 23 Metabolic Disorders Not to Miss -- Introduction -- Specific treatable metabolic epilepsies -- Summary and conclusions -- Bibliography -- Part V Special Topics in Adult Epilepsy -- 24 Juvenile Myoclonic Epilepsy and Other Primary Generalized Epilepsies -- Introduction -- Clinical features.

Differential diagnosis for idiopathic primary generalized epilepsy -- EEG in primary generalized epilepsy -- Imaging -- Treatment and prognosis -- Patient counseling -- Conclusion -- Bibliography -- 25 Epilepsy in Women of Childbearing Age -- Introduction -- Catamenial epilepsy -- Contraception -- Preconception counseling -- Infertility -- Antiepileptic drugs -- Pregnancy -- Postpartum -- Bone effects -- Menopause -- Conclusion -- Bibliography -- 26 Epilepsy After Sixty -- Introduction -- Diagnosis -- Etiology -- Prognosis -- The decision to treat -- Treatment: Specific drugs -- Treatment: General principles -- Choice of therapeutic program -- Conclusion -- Bibliography -- Part VI What Can Be Done When Medication Doesn't Work? -- 27 When Should Epilepsy Neurosurgery Be Considered, and What Can It Accomplish? -- When are medication changes unlikely to bring seizures under control? -- What constitutes "seizure control"? Is it ok if my patient still has some seizures? -- Should my patient be referred for seizure surgery now? A bottom line -- How will my patient be evaluated? -- What are the surgical options and expected outcomes? -- What should my patient expect after seizure surgery? -- Conclusion -- Bibliography -- 28 When Should Vagus Nerve Stimulation Be Considered, and What Can It Accomplish? -- Introduction -- Patient selection -- Effectiveness of VNS -- Device and implantation -- Technical considerations -- Complications and adverse effects -- Conclusions -- Bibliography -- 29 Ketogenic Diet and Alternative Therapies -- Introduction -- Ketogenic diets -- Alternative therapies -- Summary -- Bibliography -- Part VII How are Acute Seizures and Status Epilepticus Evaluated and Treated in the Emergency Department and the Hospital? -- 30 Acute Symptomatic Seizures in Children and Adults: Evaluation and Treatment -- Introduction -- Common causes.

Diagnostic evaluation -- Treatment decisions -- Outcomes -- Conclusion -- Bibliography -- 31 Evaluating and Treating Status Epilepticus -- Epidemiology and etiology -- Convulsive status epilepticus -- Nonconvulsive status epilepticus -- Management -- Prognosis -- Bibliography -- 32 Recognizing, Assessing, and Treating Seizures and Status Epilepticus in the ICU -- Introduction -- Epidemiology -- Etiology of seizures and status epilepticus in the ICU -- Clinical manifestations and differential diagnosis -- EEG in the management of seizures and status epilepticus in the ICU -- Other tests in the management of seizures and status epilepticus in the ICU -- Treatment of seizures in the ICU -- Prevention of seizures in the ICU -- Management of refractory status epilepticus -- Outcome -- Conclusions -- Bibliography -- Part VIII The Morbidity and Mortality of Epilepsy -- 33 Mortality in Epilepsy -- Introduction -- People with epilepsy have a two to three times increased risk of premature death -- Risk factors for mortality in epilepsy -- Causes of death in epilepsy -- Status epilepticus -- Sudden unexpected death in epilepsy -- Conclusion -- Bibliography -- 34 Accidents in Epilepsy -- Introduction -- Epidemiology -- Types of accidents and injuries -- Safety and prevention -- Future perspectives -- Bibliography -- 35 Medical Comorbidity in Epilepsy -- Conditions that coexist with epilepsy or increase epilepsy risk -- Conditions related to epilepsy treatment -- Conditions that affect epilepsy treatment -- Conclusion -- Bibliography -- 36 Cognitive Effects of Chronic Epilepsy -- Introduction -- Measuring cognitive function -- Causes and mechanisms of cognitive dysfunction associated with epilepsy -- Patterns of cognitive dysfunction associated with epilepsy -- Epilepsy treatments and cognition -- Cognition over the life span in epilepsy.

Effect of interictal and subclinical epileptiform activity on cognitive function.