Time Well Spent With Epilepsy

The four historical characters on the coverJulius Caesar, Joan of Arc, Fedor Dostoevsky, and Vincent Van Goghare all understood to have had epilepsy, but they also had successful lives as well. That is the key point of this book. Epilepsy is a curious and often misunderstood chronic disorder of the brain that affects approximately 50 million people across the globe in a variety of ways. Characterised by recurrent seizures as a result of excessive electrical discharges in a group of brain cells, epilepsy has extreme diversity with over forty different types of seizures. Besides the medical impact, the prejudices and social stigma that surround epilepsy worldwide are often more difficult to overcome than the seizures themselves. While Time Well Spent with Epilepsy is simply a memoir of my eventful life and times with epilepsy, the book hopes to highlight and demonstrate, along with the struggles surrounding the condition, that epilepsy is not necessarily an obstacle to a persons progress through life. People can have successful careers and lives despite the downsides of epilepsy.

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.

Though clinical aspects of epilepsy such as seizure control are crucially important to its management, increasing attention is being given to wider quality of life issues. Epilepsy continues to be an often misunderstood and stigmatising condition; for the vast majority of people whose seizures can be well controlled, the social and psychological repercussions are often of greater significance than the seizures themselves. The increasing emphasis on the importance of non-clinical outcomes in the assessment of new treatments and management strategies for chronic conditions such as epilepsy has stimulated interest in methodological issues in assessing quality of life. This book reviews the recent literature on the impact of epilepsy on everyday experience and the methodological issues involved in assessing that impact. It also considers the perspectives of a range of health professionals involved in caring for people with epilepsy and how, through appropriate management, the impact on their lives can be minimised.

To an outside observer, Psychogenic Non-Epileptic Seizures (PNES) look like epileptic seizures. The manifestations of PNES include collapses, impaired consciousness, and seizure-related injuries. However, unlike epileptic seizures, which are the result of abnormal electrical discharges in the brain, most PNES are an automatic psychological response to a trigger perceived as threatening. Not least because the changes in the brain that underpin PNES cannot be visualised easily with clinical tests (such as the EEG), there are many uncertainties and controversies surrounding the condition. Patients often provoke a mixture of emotions in healthcare professionals. In the authors' previous book, In Our Words: Personal Accounts of Living with Non-Epileptic Seizures, over 100 individuals with PNES and their family wrote about their experiences with the condition. While some had positive care experiences, many were left feeling confused, angry, and abandoned by the clinicians they had encountered. Non-Epileptic Seizures in Our Experience: Accounts of Health Care Professionals complements the authors' previous book by presenting the perspectives of over 90 members of different healthcare professions from around the world. The anonymous publication format has enabled many not only to share success stories but also to be open about difficulties and failures. This volume will be an invaluable resource for both highly experienced professionals as well as relative novice and those experiencing PNES. This book will challenge negative attitudes surrounding the condition, improve understanding between healthcare professionals and patients, and - ultimately - advance the quality of care provided for those with PNES.

"Time Well Spent" is a personal account of Ken Ryeland's training as a motor fitter in Birmingham, where he served his apprenticeship with British Railways (London Midland Region) from 1957 to 1963.

This helpful guide for those afflicted with epilepsy and their loved ones is written by the Section Head of Pediatric Neurology at the renowned Cleveland Clinic.

Models of Seizures and Epilepsy, Second Edition, is a valuable, practical reference for investigators who are searching for the most appropriate laboratory models to address key questions in the field. The book also provides an important background for physicians, fellows, and students, offering insight into the potential for advances in epilepsy research as well as R&D drug development. Contents include the current spectrum of models available to model different epilepsy syndromes, epilepsy in transgenic animals, comorbidities in models of epilepsy, and novel technologies to study seizures and epilepsies in animals. Provides a comprehensive reference detailing animal models of epilepsy and seizure Offers insights on the use of novel technologies that can be applied in experimental epilepsy research Edited by leading experts in the field that provide not only technical reviews of these models but also conceptual critiques Comments on the strengths and limitations of various models, including their relationship to clinical phenomenology and their value in developing better understanding and treatments

The primary aim of this book is to provide up-to-date information for all involved in the care and cure of children and adolescents with epilepsy. The first part of the book describes the clinical manifestation of epilepsy in children and adolescents and focuses on diagnosis and classification. The second and third parts give an extended overview of the current alternatives for drug treatment and surgical interventions. The book gives a comprehensive approach to the prevention of adverse effects of treatment due to attention. The impact of epilepsy on daily life function and the treatment of epilepsy as a chronic condition is discussed.