Improving The Lives Of People With Epilepsy A Technical Brief

Although epilepsy is one of the nation's most common neurological disorders, public understanding of it is limited. Many people do not know the causes of epilepsy or what they should do if they see someone having a seizure. Epilepsy is a complex spectrum of disorders that affects an estimated 2.2 million Americans in a variety of ways, and is characterized by unpredictable seizures that differ in type, cause, and severity. Yet living with epilepsy is about much more than just seizures; the disorder is often defined in practical terms, such as challenges in school, uncertainties about social situations and employment, limitations on driving, and questions about independent living. The Institute of Medicine was asked to examine the public health dimensions of the epilepsies, focusing on public health surveillance and data collection; population and public health research; health policy, health care, and human services; and education for people with the disorder and their families, health care providers, and the public. In Epilepsy Across the Spectrum, the IOM makes recommendations ranging from the expansion of collaborative epilepsy surveillance efforts, to the coordination of public awareness efforts, to the engagement of people with epilepsy and their families in education, dissemination, and advocacy for improved care and services. Taking action across multiple dimensions will improve the lives of people with epilepsy and their families. The realistic, feasible, and action-oriented recommendations in this report can help enable short- and long-term improvements for people with epilepsy. For all epilepsy organizations and advocates, local, state, and federal agencies, researchers, health care professionals, people with epilepsy, as well as the public, Epilepsy Across the Spectrum is an essential resource.

Epilepsy is one of most frequent neurological disorders affecting about 50 million people worldwide and 50% of them have at least another medical problem in comorbidity; sometimes this is a the cause of the epilepsy itself or it is due to shared neurobiological links between epilepsy and other medical conditions; other times it is a long-term consequence of the antiepileptic drug treatment. The Comorbidities of Epilepsy offers an up-to-date, comprehensive overview of all comorbidities of epilepsy (somatic, neurological and behavioral), by international authorities in the field of clinical epileptology, with an emphasis on epidemiology, pathophysiology, diagnosis and management. This book includes also a critical appraisal of the methodological aspects and limitations of current research on this field. Pharmacological issues in the management of comorbidities are discussed, providing information on drug dosages, side effects and interactions, in order to enable the reader to manage these patients safely. The Comorbidities of Epilepsy is aimed at all health professionals dealing with people with epilepsy including neurologists, epileptologists, psychiatrists, clinical psychologists, epilepsy specialist nurses and clinical researchers. Provides a comprehensive overview of somatic, neurological and behavioral co-morbidities of epilepsy Discusses up-to-date management of comorbidities of epilepsy Written by a group of international experts in the field

This book gives an exhaustive account of the classification and management of epileptic disorders. It provides clear didactic guidance on the diagnosis and treatment of epileptic syndromes and seizures through thirteen chapters, complemented by a pharmacopoeia and CD ROM of video-EEGs.

This book describes the principal conceptual, methodological, and empirical developments stemming from PAHO and WHO's institutional efforts in public health, which have entailed the broad and committed participation of the Member States. It provides and overview of the status of Essential Public Health Functions (EPHF) in 41 countries and territories of the Americas, based on self-evaluation exercises performed by health authorities to measure their performance.

Epilepsy is one of the most common neurological disorders, and original observations in the field are often the key to diagnosis and successful treatment. Physicians new to the field as well as seasoned practitioners will benefit from more than one hundred case vignettes that explore the universe of epilepsy as it presents in daily practice. Some of these cases challenge long-held views about epilepsy and others bring the reader to the limits of our understanding of epilepsy, both in clinical and basic science. To improve the interface of clinical and basic science in epilepsy, basic scientists comment on the potential mechanisms underlying clinical observations, and clinicians assess the potential impact of recent results of experiments in the laboratory. Puzzling Cases of Epilepsy highlights the importance that original observations have in inspiring both new treatments and continued research. Presents unique and challenging case vignettes in epilepsy contributed by eminent physicians in the field Provides practicing physicians with examples of how baffling cases were handled and solved A new section provides a translational perspective, with basic scientists discussing the potential mechanisms underlying original clinical observations, and clinical scientists discussing the clinical implications of experiments in the epilepsy laboratory

This book is a printed edition of the Special Issue "Diagnosis and Surgical Treatment of Epilepsy" that was published in Brain Sciences