The End of Epilepsy?: A history of the modern era of epilepsy research 1860-2010 (Oxford Medical Histories)

Epilepsy is a common disease of the brain, occurring in roughly 1% of all people, and although repeated epileptic seizures are its clinical hallmark, epilepsy is not just a medical phenomenon, but a social construct, with cultural, political, and financial consequences. People with epilepsy are exposed to stigma and burdened with disadvantages which can be far reaching. There are indeed many remedies, but no cure. This book provides a biography of modern epilepsy in the form of a brief and selective narrative of some of the important developments in medical and social epilepsy research, with its many ups and downs, over the period since 1860. Its anatomy of modern epilepsy in eight chapters is, inevitably in this short book, selective, and intentionally provocative. The book’s main objective is to provide both a survey of the evolution of epilepsy and its treatment in the post-Jacksonian era, and also a critical look at where we are today and how we got there. This book tries to make an effort to separate the wheat from the chaff in the development of better epilepsy care. Good and bad events and concepts of historic consequence are discussed. It is acknowledged that, although the end of epilepsy is in reach of some, there is at present no prescribed scientific path to the end of epilepsy for others. Regardless of the severity of epilepsy, patients, with the support of their physicians and modern medicine, must create their own solutions to the multiple issues they face. Epilepsy is more than just a physical condition, the fact of simply having epileptic seizures, it has cultural, geographic and historical meaning and significance which go beyond that of a neurological disorder, and which defy a single perspective. The End of Epilepsy? is a beautifully illustrated, authoritative, and engaging history of medical developments during the modern era of epilepsy, which began with the introduction of Bromides and Hughlings-Jacksons definition of epilepsy in 1860. This thought-provoking book comprehensively covers the definitions of and the attitudes to epilepsy over the past 150 years, and describes the bureaucracies surrounding the condition. It explores the technological advances, and the different management techniques, with antiepileptic drugs and surgery, which have been applied to epilepsy up to the present day. After presenting an overview both of the advances and improvements made, and also of the dark side which has cast shadows over medical and social progress, the authors then critically examine on-going research into new treatments for epilepsy, and provide an insight into the complex underpinnings of scientific and medical practice. They look forward to a time when the condition will no longer be, as Temkin put it, a paradigm of the suffering of both body and soul in disease. Epilepsy is more than just a physical condition; it has cultural, geographic, and historical significance which course deeper than the status of neurological entity, and which defy a single perspective. The End of Epilepsy? is a beautifully illustrated, authoritative, and engaging history of medical developments during the 'modern era' of epilepsy, which began with the introduction of Bromides and Hughlings-Jackson's definition of epilepsy in 1860. This thought-provoking book comprehensively covers the various classification theories that have been developed over the past 150 years. It explores the technological advances, and the different management techniques, such as drugs and surgical interventions, which have been applied to epilepsy up to the present day. By presenting an overview of the advances, improvements, and issues that have clouded medical, social, and political progress since the condition was defined, the authors critically examine ongoing research into new treatments for epilepsy. The book also explores the application of current and future clinical studies, and provides an insight into the complex underpinnings of scientific and medical practice. Cover 1 Series 3 The End of Epilepsy? 4 Copyright 5 Contents 12 Abbreviations 14 1 What is Epilepsy? 16 2 Attitudes 36 3 The Pharmaceutical Phoenix Rises 54 4 Modern Blockbusters 76 5 Resecting Epilepsy 96 6 The Dark Side of Epilepsy 122 7 Culs-​de-​Sac and Bureaucracies 142 8 Is the End of Epilepsy in Sight? 170 Appendix: Dating Epilepsy 188 Index 194 A history of the modern era of epilepsy research, providing a critical overview of the advances, improvements, set-backs, and social and political influences on progress that have characterised the endeavours of researchers in the field over the past 150 years.-- Source other than Library of Congress