Clinical case studies have long been recognized as a useful adjunct to problem-based learning and continuing professional development. They emphasize the need for clinical reasoning, integrative thinking, problem-solving, communication, teamwork and self-directed learning - all desirable generic skills for health care professionals. Epilepsy is amongst the most frequently encountered of neurological disorders. There are important emerging clinical management issues (e.g., first seizure, therapy-resistant seizures, ICU, pregnancy) but also differential diagnosis of non-epileptic seizures (syncopy, pseudo-seizure, paroxysmal dystonic syndromes, sleep disorders, psychosis, inborn errors of metabolism, etc.). This selection of epilepsy case studies will inform and challenge clinicians at all stages in their careers. Including both common and uncommon cases, Case Studies in Epilepsy reinforces the diagnostic skills and treatment decision-making processes necessary to treat epilepsy and other seizures confidently. Written by leading experts, the cases and discussions work through differential diagnoses, treatments and social consequences in pediatric and adult patients.

The identification of the cause of an epileptic seizure is a key element in the clinical management of all patients. In recent decades, advances in theory, neuroimaging, molecular genetics and molecular chemistry have revolutionized our ability to investigate and identify the underlying cause. The definitive and unrivalled textbook on the causes of epilepsy, this second edition is extensively revised and expanded. It provides concise descriptions of all the major genetic and acquired conditions that cause epilepsy in adults and children, and the provoking factors for epileptic seizures and of the causes of status epilepticus. A new section considers clinical approaches to diagnosing causes, to guide and assist clinicians in investigations. With 128 chapters written by leading figures from around the world, this comprehensive and authoritative resource is indispensable to senior and junior clinicians and trainees working in the field of epilepsy, including specialists in neurology, paediatrics, neurophysiology, psychiatry and neurosurgery.

Since its first description (1841) the identity of West syndrome was deeply investigated and is now recognized as an epileptic syndrome in infancy (ILAE Task Force, 1989). West syndrome has become a paradigmatic model of an epileptic syndrome causing neurological deterioration (epileptic encephalopathy) and the object of a number of studies aimed at understanding the complex relationships between an epileptic disorder and neurodevelopment. Although the symptomatic triad (peculiar electrographic findings named hypsarrhythmia, brief tonic spasms, and arrest of psychomotor development) that characterizes the syndrome suggests a unique pathogenetic mechanism, causal heterogeneity heavily influences syndrome variability in terms of neurodevelopment, treatment choices, management and, possibly, electroclinical semiology. Important insights may arise for that might help developing models of epileptic encephalopathies in the basic sciences. However, a more immediate benefit may arise for clinicians in everyday practice. A group of clinical researchers recently met in Rome to discuss hot points concerning infantile spasms and West syndrome. Their contributions were collected and are presented in this book that we hope will contribute to the progress of knowledge of this paradigmatic epileptic disorder.

Epilepsy is the most common serious neurological condition, affecting children and adults, and can occur in a variety of medical settings. It has many causes and many forms, and a variable prognosis. Mortality and morbidity are high, social and legal consequences can stretch well beyond the purely medical, and its management is often poor. Part of the Oxford Textbooks in Clinical Neurology (OTCN) series, this volume covers the scientific basis, clinical diagnosis, and treatment of epilepsy and epileptic seizures. Written by internationally-renowned specialists, each chapter comprehensively covers the current knowledge and evidence base related to each aspect of the disorder, with an emphasis on the personal experience of the authors. The print edition of the Oxford Textbook of Epilepsy and Epileptic Seizures is complemented by an online version, which allows access to the full content of the textbook, contains links from the references to primary research journal articles, enables full text searches, and provides access to figures and tables that can be downloaded to PowerPoint (R). This textbook will prove a useful clinical reference for neurologists and senior trainees in neurology, an educational manual for trainees, and will offer practical assistance to all physicians advising people with epilepsy.