Epilepsy: A Comprehensive Textbook

Written and edited by world-renowned authorities this three-volume work is to quote a reviewer "the definitive textbook about seizures and epilepsy". This Second Edition is thoroughly updated and gives you a complete print and multimedia package: the three-volume set plus access to an integrated content Website. More than 300 chapters cover the spectrum of biology physiology and clinical information from molecular biology to public health concerns in developing countries. Included are detailed discussions of seizure types and epilepsy syndromes; relationships between physiology and clinical events; psychiatric and medical comorbidity; conditions that could be mistaken for epilepsy; and an increasing range of pharmacologic surgical and alternative therapies including vagus nerve stimulation and deep brain stimulation. This edition describes many new antiepileptic drugs major advances in surgical treatment and state-of-the-art neuroimaging EEG and other technologies for diagnosis and seizure prediction. A companion Website offers instant access to the complete fully searchable text plus an image bank of additional figures video footage and annual updates to selected chapters.

Table of Contents:
VOLUME I Introduction: What Is Epilepsy? SECTION 1 EPIDEMIOLOGY, PATHOLOGY, AND GENETICS OF EPILEPSY Overview: Epidemiology, Pathology, and Genetics Epilepsy: Historical Perspectives Neuropathology EPIDEMIOLOGY Incidence and Prevalence The Natural History and Prognosis of Epilepsy NEUROPATHOLOGY General Neuropathology of Epilepsy Hippocampal Sclerosis GENETICS Genetic Epidemiology EEG Traits SECTION II THE NEUROBIOLOGY OF EPILEPSY Overview: The Neurobiology of Epilepsy MECHANISMS OF NORMAL NEURONAL EXCITABILITY Control of Neuronal Excitability Excitatory Synaptic Transmission Neocortical Anatomy and Physiology Thalamocortical Anatomy and Physiology MECHANISMS OF EPILEPTOGENESIS AND EPILEPTOGENICITY Genetic Models of Epilepsy Seizure Mechanisms and Vulnerability in the Developing Brain SECTION III PHENOMENOLOGY Overview: Phenomenology EPILEPTIC SEIZURES Simple Motor Seizures Limbic Seizures Epileptic Spasms STATUS EPILEPTICUS Generalized Convulsive Status Epilepticus Absence Status Epilepticus Myoclonic Status Epilepticus EPILEPTIC DISORDERS Classification of the Epilepsies SECTION IV DIAGNOSTIC EVALUATION Overview: Diagnostic Evaluation ROUTINE INVESTIGATIONS History and Physical Examination EEG Physiologic Basis of the Electroencephalogram and Local Field Potentials Ictal Electroencephalogram Polygraphic Recordings NEUROIMAGING Positron Emission Tomography Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy Computational Anatomy NEW DIRECTIONS Seizure Prediction Microdialysis Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation Cellular Imaging of Epilepsy NEUROPSYCHOLOGICAL EVALUATION LONG-TERM MONITORING VOLUME II SECTION V GENERAL TREATMENT CONSIDERATIONS Overview: General Approaches to Treatment GENERAL CONSIDERATIONS PRINCIPLES OF DRUG TREATMENT STRATEGIES FOR PHARMACOTHERAPY SPECIAL THERAPEUTIC CONSIDERATIONS ALTERNATIVE APPROACHES SECTION VI ANTIEPILEPTIC DRUGS ANTIEPILEPTIC DRUG DEVELOPMENT ANTIEPILEPTIC DRUGS SECTION VII SURGICAL THERAPY CANDIDATE SELECTION INVASIVE MONITORING TECHNIQUES FUNCTIONAL MAPPING TECHNIQUES THERAPEUTIC SURGICAL PROCEDURES POSTOPERATIVE FOLLOW-UP SECTION VIII CLINICAL BIOLOGY OF EPILEPSY>/B> BIORHYTHMS AND THE AUTONOMIC NERVOUS SYSTEM COMORBIDITY NEUROENDOCRINOLOGY VOLUME III SECTION IX PSYCHIATRIC AND SOCIAL ISSUES PSYCHIATRIC ISSUES SOCIAL ISSUES SECTION X EPILEPSY SYNDROMES NEONATAL SYNDROMES SYNDROMES OF INFANCY AND EARLY CHILDHOOD SYNDROMES OF LATER CHILDHOOD AND ADOLESCENCE NON AGE-RELATED AND SPECIAL SYNDROMES DISEASES ASSOCIATED WITH EPILEPSY SECTION XI DISORDERS THAT CAN BE CONFUSED WITH EPILEPSY SYSTEMIC DISTURBANCES NEUROLOGICAL DISTURBANCES PSYCHIATRIC DISTURBANCES SECTION XII DELIVERY OF HEALTH CARE AND SOCIOECONOMIC ISSUES ORGANIZATION OF HEALTH CARE IN DIFFERENT COUNTRIES SPECIALIZED CENTERS FOR EPILEPSY COST AND ALLOCATION OF RESOURCES Subject Index  

Review :
Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA), 23-JUL-08, Volume 300, Issue 4, George Lee Morris, III, MD, Regional Epilepsy Center, St. Luke's Medical Center, Milwaukee, WI -- "I recommend the second edition of Epilepsy: A Comprehensive Textbook, edited by Engel and Pedley, for its valuable instruction to practitioners who treat seizures...This text belongs on the shelves of any medical library or physician subspecialist. The chapters are a wonderfully manageable size, often not more than a few pages, and address issues that in other texts receive only a paragraph or two, leaving the reader seeking more information elsewhere. The text is well referenced, citing a variety of original source articles rather than reviews. The different writing styles of the contributors are engaging and allow the reader to enjoy this rather unique experience... "The chapters are easy to peruse and tend to have a narrow focus. I find this a desirable feature when looking for a specific issue. The shorter length means fewer references for any given issue, and it is easier to navigate from text to references and back again. I often question the source of a conclusion, moving back and forth between text and references to discover if I need to review a specific reference. The issues in chapters may vary from the more global, as in "Efficacy of Medications," to the specific, as in "Managing the Single Seizure"-both chapters I enthusiastically recommend. Throughout, the text provides more examples of this variation between a specific and a broad topic, making the book useful to a variety of physicians. "The chapters have wonderful writing styles. They include the grand and sweeping concepts of "Broader Aspects of Treatment," which covers seldom-acknowledged bits of knowledge. This chapter is well worth reading for the newer physician before putting pen to prescription pad. "Routine Monitoring for Safety and Tolerability During Chronic Treatment With Antiepileptic Drugs" is likewise efficient and economical, presenting a condensed, detailed review of appropriate practices and maneuvers. Chapters on candidacy for surgery, hormonal changes with epilepsy treatment, and pharmacogenomics are skillfully written and provide a more focused perspective to the advanced reader. While some chapter authors use the approach of simple titles for each section, others have chosen a question to begin each section as though in a discussion with students in a lecture classroom or clinic hallway. "The text includes a wonderful chapter on the role of the European Regulatory Agencies that provides needed insight into the complicated nature of the drug approval process. The section on the issue of the monotherapy indication bears review for epilepsy physicians and others seeking to understand this issue. Since Europeans have different issues in the approval process, the chapter provides the opportunity to expand a newer physician's understanding of the challenges ahead... "These volumes will, as did their predecessor, become dog-eared and well-worn on my shelf. They will, from time to time, disappear and reappear due to collective use. Libraries will find Epilepsy: A Comprehensive Textbook used frequently, fellows will feel it was a good use of their book funds, and many will patiently wait for the inevitable publication of a valuable third edition."-Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA)