The Treatment of Epilepsy

An indispensable clinical reference work which offers a clear practical clinical guide to the whole field of epilepsy therapy.

A wide range of treatment options are available for epilepsy, which depend on the nature of the epilepsy and the circumstances of the individual patient. Identifying the best regimen can be complex, and neurologists, paediatricians, epileptologists and trainees need a clear, concise yet comprehensive guide to the best treatment options.

The Treatment of Epilepsy, fourth edition, provides such a guide, describing all conventional pharmacological, medical and surgical options available for the treatment of epilepsy, and putting them in their appropriate clinical context. The book is compiled by three editors actively involved with the International League of Epilepsy, and written by renowned international experts in the field from 18 countries.

 

This fourth edition has been extensively revised incorporating the many recent developments in therapy, The first two sections cover the background to, and principles of, treatment in different clinical situations, Section three comprises a series of systematic reviews of contemporary drug therapy, devoting one chapter to each anti–epileptic drug and covering all clinically–relevant aspects, Section four focuses on the surgical options, devoting individual chapters to each of the modalities of presurgical assessment and to each surgical operation or approach, Drug and prescribing data presented in clear tables for quick clinical referral, The text consists of 81 chapters and a historical introduction, and is now in full color with many clear tables and figures.

 

Praise for previous editions:

Treatment of Epilepsy is a vital contribution to the field. The book′s primary focus is on the medical and surgical evaluation and treatment of the disease. Experts around the globe who have made seminal contributions to the treatment of epilepsy have contributed to the book, which preserves its flow and focus extremely well. This book is highly recommended for anybody who is involved in the evaluation and medical care of patients with epilepsy.  (NEJM, February 2005)

"I would highly recommend The Treatment of Epilepsy for neurologists, neurosurgeons, psychiatrists, pediatricians, and internists, as well as nurse practitioners, physician′s assistants, and others who are interested in delving into the details of the treatment of epilepsy." ( Epilepsy & Behavior, 6 October 2010)

List of Contributors

Preface to the Fourth Edition

Historical Introduction: The Drug Treatment of Epilepsy From 1857 to 2015
Simon Shorvon

Section 1 Introduction (Lead editor: Simon Shorvon)

1 Classification, aetiology, and investigation of epilepsy
Simon Shorvon

2 Differential Diagnosis of Epilepsy
Mark Cook

3 Epileptogenesis and its prevention
Giuliano Avanzini, Silvana Franceschetti

4 Antiepileptic Drug Discovery
H. Steve White, Melissa Barker–Haliski

5 Antiepileptic drug development
Dieter Schmidt

6 Mechanisms of Antiepileptic Drug Action
Matthew C. Walker, Rainer Surges

7 Mechanisms of Tolerance and Drug Resistance
Wolfgang Löscher, Dieter Schmidt

8 Epilepsy Biomarkers
Asla Pitkänen, Jerome Engel Jr

Section 2 – Principles of Medical Management (Lead Ed: Simon Shorvon)

9 General Principles of Medical Management
Emilio Perucca

10 Pharmacokinetic optimisation of therapy
Svein Johannessen, Cecilie Johannessen–Landmark, Emilio Perucca

11 Clinical approaches to management of adult epilepsy
Simon Shorvon

12 Management of Epilepsy in Remission
Patrick Kwan, Howan Leung, Xiaoting Hao

13 Management of Epilepsy in the first year of life
Elissa G. Yozawitz, Solomon L. Moshé

14 Management of Childhood Epilepsy Syndromes and epilepsy in specific diseases of childhood
Colin D. Ferrie

15 Management of epilepsy in people with learning disabilities
Eylert Brodtkorb

16 Management of Epilepsy in the Elderly
Hiba Arif, Lawrence J Hirsch

17 Emergency Treatment of Seizures and Status Epilepticus
Matthew C. Walker, Simon Shorvon

18 Management of medical co–morbidies associated with epilepsy
Gagandeep Singh

19 Management of psychiatric co–morbidities associated with epilepsy
Brent Elliott, Simon Shorvon

20 Prevention and Management of Side–effects of Antiepileptic Drugs
Gaetano Zaccara, Piero Perucca

21 Ketogenic and related diets
Eric H. Kossoff, Courtney A. Haney

22 Complementary and Alternative Treatments for Epilepsy
Sallie A. Baxendale

23 Reproductive Aspects of Epilepsy Treatment
Torbjörn Tomson

24 Genetic Counselling in Epilepsy
Federico Zara

25 Drug Interactions
Edoardo Spina, Domenico Italiano

26 Medical Treatment of Epilepsy in Situations with Limited Resources
Patrick Adjei

Section 3 – Antiepileptic Drugs (Lead editor: Emilio Perucca)

27 Introduction to the Choice of Antiepileptic Drugs
Emilio Perucca

28 Acetazolamide
Miri Y. Neufeld

29 Adrenocorticotropic Hormone and Corticosteroids
Federico Vigevano, Maria Roberta Cilio

30 Benzodiazepines used in epilepsy
Eugen Trinka, Francesco Brigo

31 Brivaracetam
Joseph D′Souza, Emilio Perucca

32 Carbamazepine
Torbjörn Tomson

33 Eslicarbazepine Acetate
Meir Bialer, Christian Elger

34 Ethosuximide
Tracy A. Glauser, Emilio Perucca

35 Felbamate
Ilo E. Leppik, James R. White

36 Gabapentin
Ernest R. Somerville, Andrew W. Michell, Arjune Sen

37 Lacosamide
Rajesh Sachdeo, Roopal Karia

38 Lamotrigine
Fumisuke Matsuo, Awais Riaz

39 Levetiracetam
Jacqueline A. French, Derek Chong

40 Oxcarbazepine
Edward Faught Jnr., Hyunmi Kim

41 Perampanel
Martin J. Brodie

42 Phenobarbital, Primidone and Other Barbiturates
Roberto Michelucci, Elena Pasini

43 Phenytoin
Mervyn J. Eadie

44 Piracetam
Simon Shorvon

45 Pregabalin
Philippe Ryvlin

46 Retigabine
Michel Baulac

47 Rufinamide
Victor Biton

48 Stiripentol
Tapani Keränen

49 Tiagabine
Reetta Kälviäinen

50 Topiramate
J. Helen Cross, Catherine J. Riney

51 Valproate
Anthony G. Marson, Graeme J. Sills

52 Vigabatrin
Günter Krämer, Gabriele Ch. Wohlrab

53 Zonisamide
Michel Baulac

54 Other Drugs Rarely Used
Martin Holtkamp

55 Drugs in Clinical Development
H. Steve White, Norman Delanty

Section 4 Presurgical Assessment and Epilepsy Surgery (Lead editor: Jerome Engel Jr)

56 Overview of Surgical Treatment for Epilepsy
Jerome Engel Jr

57 Scalp EEG in the Epilepsy Surgery Evaluation
John M. Stern, Christine B. Baca

58 Invasive EEG in Presurgical Evaluation of Epilepsy
Dennis Spencer, Adithya Sivaraju

59 MEG in epilepsy surgery evaluation
Hermann Stefan, Paul Boon

60 MRI in the Presurgical Evaluation
Christian E. Elger, Bernd Weber

61 PET and SPECT in Presurgical Evaluation of Epilepsy
Karolien Goffin, Wim Van Paesschen

62 Special Neurophysiological Techniques
François Mauguière, Julien Jung

63 Neuropsychological Testing in Presurgical Evaluation
Marilyn Jones–Gotman, Gail L. Risse

64 Presurgical Psychiatric Evaluation
Andres M. Kanner

65 Mesial Temporal Lobe Surgery and Other Lobar Resections
Itzhak Fried, James W. Leiphart

66 Resective Surgery of Neoplasms
Gregory D. Cascino, Nicholas M. Wetjen

67 Resective Surgery of Vascular and Infective Lesions for Epilepsy
Christopher E Uff, Neil D Kitchen

68 Surgery of Developmental Anomalies Causing Epilepsy
Ahyuda Oh, Joshua J. Chern, Youssef G. Comair

69 Hemispheric operations for Epilepsy
Georg Dorfmüller, Christine Bulteau, Olivier Delalande

70 Corpus Callosotomy
David W. Roberts

71 Hypothalamic Hamartoma
John F. Kerrigan

72 Multiple subpial transection
Adriana Bermeo–Ovalle,Michael C. Smith

73 Awake Surgery for Epilepsy
Webster H. Pilcher

74 Epilepsy Surgery in Children
Jason S. Hauptman, Gary W. Mathern

75 Complications of Epilepsy Surgery
Charles E. Polkey

76 Anaesthesia for Epilepsy Surgery
Barbara M. Van de Wiele

77 Vagal Nerve Stimulation
Steven C. Schachter

78 Brain Stimulation for Epilepsy
Gregory K. Bergey, Robert S. Fisher

79 Non–Resective Approaches for Medically Intractable Epilepsy
Thomas J. Gianaris, Andrea G. Scherer,Nicholas M. Barbaro

80 Future focal treatments for epilepsy
Hannah Cock, Laura Mantoan Ritter

81 Epilepsy Surgery in Countries with Limited Resources
Andre Palmini, Kurupath Radhakrishnan

Index

Simon Shorvon MA MB BChir MD FRCP

Professor in Clinical Neurology and Clinical SubDean

UCL Institute of Neurology, University College London

and Consultant Neurologist

National Hospital for Neurology and Neurosurgery

Queen Square

London, UK

 

Emilio Perucca MD PhD FRCP(Edin)

Professor of Medical Pharmacology

Clinical Pharmacology Unit

Department of Internal Medicine and Therapeutics

University of Pavia

Pavia, Italy

and Director, Clinical Trial Center

C Mondino National Neurological Institute

Pavia, Italy

 

Jerome Engel Jr MD PhD

Director,

Seizure Disorder Center

Jonathan Sinay Distinguished Professor, Neurology, Neurobiology, Psychiatry and Behavioural Sciences

David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA

Los Angeles, California, USA