Neuropsychiatric Symptoms Of Epilepsy

This book is an up-to-date, comprehensive review of the neuropsychiatry of epilepsy, by active authorities in the field, with an emphasis on clinical and management issues. A critical appraisal of the methodology and limitations of current research on the neuropsychiatry of epilepsy is provided, and unanswered questions and controversies are addressed. Pharmacological aspects of management are also discussed in order to enable the reader to manage these patients more safely. Neuropsychiatric Symptoms of Epilepsy is aimed at neurologists, epileptologists, psychiatrists and neuropsychiatrists, and will also be of interest to psychologists and neuropsychologists, research and specialist nurses, clinical researchers and methodologists.

Research into the neuropsychiatry of epilepsy has become a central focus of interest in the last five years. Comorbidity of epilepsy with behavioral problems is now recognized widely, and the neuroscientific basis for such comorbidity is an active area of investigation. With an expanded international team of authors, this fully revised new edition builds on the strengths of its predecessor, examining in detail the subtleties of behavioral changes in patients with seizure disorders and offering both a diagnostic and a management perspective. New chapters cover genetic disorders, the effects of epilepsy on social behavior as viewed through theory of mind, a discussion of the precuneus, the importance and nature of peri-ictal psychiatric symptoms, depression and the interictal dysphoric disorder, and the relationship between antiepileptic drugs and suicide. This new edition is a must for anyone involved in diagnosing or managing epilepsy.

In addition to the symptoms and signs of their condition, patients with epilepsy also often experience neuropsychiatric disorders which have a significant impact on their quality of life. Many epileptic patients also suffer from psychosis. Neuropsychiatric development disorders in epileptic children are also common, as are psychiatric problems after surgery for epilepsy. Pre-existing psychiatric problems may result in surgical complications. The aim of this book is to list the current understanding of neuropsychiatric issues in epilepsy. Psychiatrists, epilepsy specialists, neurologists, neuropediatricians and surgeons have joined forces to share their experiences and discuss the advances made in this field. Understanding the mechanisms linking epilepsy to psychiatric disorders makes it possible to establish effective treatments and also improve the quality of life of these patients.

This volume is a pragmatic, comprehensive guide to evaluation and management of psychiatric problems in patients with epilepsy. The authors critically analyze recent findings on the relationship between seizures and psychiatric disorders and offer practical recommendations for diagnosis and treatment. Numerous case studies are included. This thoroughly updated edition includes new material on animal models of psychopathology in epilepsy, use of psychotropic drugs in epilepsy, use of antiepileptic drugs in psychiatry, neuroanatomic and neurobiologic bases of psychiatric disorders, neuropsychological evaluation in children with epilepsy, neuropsychological testing in epilepsy surgery candidates, and value and limitations of the forced normalization concept.

Epilepsy affects 40 million people worldwide. With appropriate treatment most can become seizure free. For a minority of patients who also suffer from psychiatric comorbidity, however, diagnosis and management may be complicated by uncontrolled seizures, associated stigma or by the treatment of the epilepsy itself. Written by the world's foremost authorities on the neuropsychiatric manifestations of epilepsy, Psychiatric Comorbidity in Epilepsy is a comprehensive clinical, research, and treatment text for health care professionals -- including psychiatrists, neurologists, and neuropsychologists -- who treat patients with epilepsy and comorbid psychiatric problems. Based on a thorough knowledge of contemporary neuroscience, this book addresses the critical psychosocial and psychiatric issues that can affect patient care, including depression, psychosis, nonepileptic seizure-like events, antiepileptic drug toxicity, and family issues. This book also examines the possible links between the neurobiology of neuropsychiatric illness and the neurobiology of seizures, providing insight into brain behavior relations.

This book is devoted to the surgical treatment of epilepsy and its consequences, and provides an extraordinary perspective on the fascinating question of the relationship between brain and mind. Contrary to the current emphasis on statistics and objectivity, this book is dedicated to understanding the whole person, the life and experiences of the individual. It reports on cutting-edge technical skills provided with a human touch. This book reflects the understanding that the temporolimbic seizure originates in tissue providing the substrate for the emotional life and memory. Finally, it emphasizes the value of clinical research – here, conducted in the course of the diagnosis and surgical treatment of epilepsy – in helping to elucidate the relationship between brain and mind.

This book reviews and explores the interface between epilepsy and behaviour disorders, giving both diagnostic and management perspectives.