Handbook of Epilepsy (Lippincott Williams & Wilkins Handbook Series)

Thoroughly updated for its Fourth Edition, this best-selling pocket reference is a practical point-of-care guide to the diagnosis and management of epilepsy. In an easy-to-use outline format, the book provides complete, clinically focused information on seizure classification, epilepsies with different ages of onset, situation-related epilepsy, diagnosis and differential diagnosis, and all available drug treatments, including dosages, side effects, and drug interactions. This edition's updated coverage of drug therapy includes current American Academy of Neurology guidelines, new drugs, newly approved indications, new information on pharmacokinetics, and results of six registries of antiepileptic drugs in pregnancy. New information on the genetics and molecular biology of several epilepsy syndromes is also included.

Thoroughly updated for its Fourth Edition, this best-selling pocket reference is a practical point-of-care guide to the diagnosis and management of epilepsy. In an easy-to-use outline format, the book provides complete, clinically focused information on seizure classification, epilepsies with different ages of onset, situation-related epilepsy, diagnosis and differential diagnosis, and all available drug treatments, including dosages, side effects, and drug interactions.

This edition's updated coverage of drug therapy includes current American Academy of Neurology guidelines, new drugs, newly approved indications, new information on pharmacokinetics, and results of six registries of antiepileptic drugs in pregnancy. New information on the genetics and molecular biology of several epilepsy syndromes is also included.

Doody Review Services

Reviewer:Elizabeth Barry, MD(University of Maryland School of Medicine)
Description:This is a concise handbook of epilepsy; its diagnosis, classification, and treatment. It attempts to cover as much as possible of a broad subject, while remaining a concise practical reference. This is the third edition, updating epilepsy classifications, syndromes and treatments.
Purpose:The purpose is to provide a comprehensive yet practical guide to the field of epilepsy for the practicing clinician. This is a worthy objective, as epilepsy is a problem that clinicians see every day, but they may not always know or understand the many recent advances in its diagnosis and treatment. The book manages to cover all aspects of the subject, without being too detailed.
Audience:The book is written for the practitioner in neurology, and does not assume any advanced knowledge of epilepsy. It would also be useful for a neurology resident. However, some of the sections, especially those about the syndromes, are more suited for fellows in epilepsy who wish more detailed information. The authors are credible authorities in this field, and their previous editions have been well received.
Features:The book begins with basic information about the pathophysiology of epilepsy, and the types of epileptic seizures. It then describes the epilepsies, using the newly revised International Classification of Epilepsy Syndromes. The authors use a unique method of grouping the epilepsies by the age of onset. This works quite well for the genetic and pediatric epilepsies, but is not as useful for syndromes of unclear origin or a broad range in age of onset. Their chapter on differential diagnosis is very readable and practical. The chapter on antiepileptic drugs covers all of the currently used drugs, but only includes practical information about each drug. Special populations (pregnant women, the elderly) are covered in a separate chapter. In the authors' attempts to cover the field of epilepsy yet remain practical, they sometimes include too many topics without enough detail about any one of them. Readers who want more comprehensive information on any of the topics will have to look elsewhere.
Assessment:This is a very useful guide for neurologists, neurology residents, or primary care physicians, particularly those who see a lot of patients with epilepsy. In its attempt to be comprehensive yet concise, it tends to be encyclopedic at times, densely written and relying upon tables a lot. I would have liked to see more illustrations. Its descriptions of the epilepsy syndromes and differential diagnosis at different ages is particularly useful. The discussion of the various treatments is not as thorough as I would have liked, but this is not meant to be a comprehensive reference on the antiepileptic drugs. This edition is needed, as the field is constantly changing, with recognition of new syndromes and addition of new drugs.

"This best-selling pocket reference, thoroughly updated in this Fourth Edition, is a practical, point-of-care guide to the diagnosis and management of epilepsy. Presented in a handy, easy-to-use outline format, it provides complete, clinically focused information on seizure classification, epilepsies with different ages of onset, situation-related epilepsy, differential diagnosis, and all available drug treatments including dosages, side effects, and drug interactions."--BOOK JACKET Serves as a point-of-care guide to the diagnosis and management of epilepsy. This book provides clinically focused information on seizure classification, epilepsies with different ages of onset, situation-related epilepsy, diagnosis and differential diagnosis, and drug treatments, including dosages, side effects, and drug interactions.