Handbook of Epilepsy Treatment: Forms, Causes and Therapy in Children and Adults, Second Edition

Content: Chapter 1 The Clinical Forms and Causes of Epilepsy (pages 1–59): Chapter 2 The Principles of Drug Treatment (pages 60–113): Chapter 3 The Antiepileptic Drugs (pages 114–210): Chapter 4 The Emergency Treatment of Epilepsy (pages 211–230): Chapter 5 The Surgical Treatment of Epilepsy (pages 231–270):

This single-author book, based upon the much longer multi-author Treatment of Epilepsy, has been updated to bring the text completely up to date.There have been many recent advances in treatment (new drugs, new investigations, novel surgical approaches) and the book represents the best in current thinking regarding the treatment of all types of epilepsy and seizure.This practical addresses all the common problems encountered in clinical practice. It is the definitive source for all those medical professionals who encounter patients with epilepsy.

Doody Review Services

Reviewer:Jennifer L Hopp, MD(University of Maryland School of Medicine)
Description:This handbook of epilepsy treatment is the second edition of a comprehensive, yet concise review of medical and surgical treatment of epilepsy. The previous edition was published in 2000, and this updated edition is a companion to the more extensive The Treatment of Epilepsy, 2nd edition, by the same author (Blackwell, 2004).
Purpose:The stated purpose is to provide a "hands-on" companion to the main textbook as a comprehensive review of the medical and surgical approaches to epilepsy treatment. The second edition is noted to encompass changes including developments in the understanding of the genetic basis of the disorders, the increasing development of clinical guidelines for treatment and evidence-based management, as well as the emphasis on patient autonomy in decision making and communication. These objectives are worthy, and met in this edition.
Audience:The book is written for a wide audience, and in particular, due to its format as a handbook and companion to a more comprehensive textbook, can be used by students, residents, and practitioners. Because of its broad approach, the book has appeal for general neurologists, while having enough detail to serve as a quick reference for epileptologists and specialists in the field. The author is a credible authority.
Features:Following a concise overview of epilepsy and seizure types and syndromes in children and adults, there is an extensive review of the principles of drug treatment, with useful updates in alternative and complementary medicine, as well as genetic counseling based on advances in the field. The very detailed chapters on each anticonvulsant and other drugs used for epilepsy are a highlight. The surgical treatment chapters are less extensive, though comprehensive. The tables and section on pharmacopoeia are particularly useful, though from the perspective of medications available in the U.K., and possibly not in other countries.
Assessment:This is quite useful as a quick guide for epileptologists or physicians in training. It is comprehensive enough in the field to also serve as a text for practitioners in general medicine or neurology who care for patients with epilepsy. The author notes that the book includes evidence-based approaches, based on practice in the U.K., although this does not affect the accuracy or widespread appeal of the book. This second edition is justified, as the inclusion of a review of genetics and new clinically-based guidelines may be helpful for general neurologists as well as specialists in epilepsy.

The Handbook of Epilepsy Treatment: forms, causes and therapy in children and adults provides a comprehensive coverage of medical and surgical therapy. It includes sections on all current antiepileptic drugs, drug choice, pharmacokinetics, the various surgical approaches, complementary and alternative therapies, emergency treatment of seizures and of status epilepticus, the treatment of psychiatric disorders associated with epilepsy and genetic counselling. There are practical guides for the treatment of patients with newly diagnosed epilepsy, chronic epilepsy and epilepsy in remission, and sections on therapy in different epilepsy types and syndromes and in different patient groups such as children, women and elderly.The book also has also an opening chapter on the clinical forms and causes of epilepsy, and throughout the text new information is incorporated particularly from the rapidly advancing fields of clinical genetics and clinical pharmacology.The Handbook of Epilepsy Treatment: forms, causes and therapy in children and adults aids the doctor in the day to day management of the patient with epilepsy. It provides enough detail to be useful as a reference and yet gives information in an easy-to-use format for busy clinical practice. This concise and readable book is an invaluable guide for all doctors, regardless of specialty, who are treating patients with epilepsy. A new pharmacopoela is appended for quick reference and there are approximately 200 tables/figures/summary tables to assist clarity. "The Handbook of Epilepsy Treatment: forms, causes and therapy in children and adults provides a comprehensive coverage of medical and surgical therapy. It includes sections on all current antiepileptic drugs, drug choice, pharmacokinetics, the various surgical approaches, complementary and alternative therapies, emergency treatment of seizures and of status epilepticus, the treatment of psychiatric disorders associated with epilepsy and genetic counselling. There are practical guides for the treatment of patients with newly diagnosed epilepsy, chronic epilepsy and epilepsy in remission, and sections on therapy in different epilepsy types and syndromes and in different patient groups such as children, women and elderly." "The Handbook of Epilepsy Treatment: forms, causes and therapy in children and adults aids the doctor in the day to day management of the patient with epilepsy. It provides enough detail to be useful as a reference and yet gives information in an easy-to-use format for busy clinical practice. This concise and readable book is an invaluable guide for all doctors, regardless of specialty, who are treating patients with epilepsy." "A new pharmacopoeia is appended for quick reference and there are approximately 200 tables/figures/summary tables to assist clarity."--BOOK JACKET