Integrates basic research and practical clinical information on the neuropsychology of epilepsy under one cover. Provides inside knowledge on how neuropsychological assessments are performed and evaluated. A comprehensive reference that will serve as a clinical resource for working with epilepsy patients. Epilepsy is a prevalent condition affecting approximately 1% of the general population. Its behavioral effects on cognition and memory can be as debilitating as the physical aspects caused by ongoing seizures. This book is intended primarily for clinical neuropsychologists who encounter patients with epilepsy, either through employment in academic medical centers or in general practice. The book is of particular value to those working in a comprehensive epilepsy center, as the volume provides extensive coverage of the many clinical procedures performed in that setting. Procedures reviewed in this volume include neuropsychological testing, the Wada procedures, and brain mapping. Chapters include descriptions of the purpose of these procedures, reviews of the recent literature, clinical vignettes, in addition to concrete recommendations on how to actually conduct the procedures. Many chapters provide examples of test forms and stimuli useful for conducting some of the procedures reviewed in this book. Neurologists and pediatricians will also find this book to be helpful, as many medical practitioners consider the activities of clinical neuropsychologists working in their settings to be somewhat mysterious. This book makes the details of neuropsychological practice in an epilepsy setting more accessible than what has been present in prior literature. Content Level Research Keywords Brain mapping - Children with epilepsy - Cognitive remediation - Epilepsy - Epilepsy in children - FMRI - MEG - Movement disorder - Neuropsychological testing - Refractory seizure - Seizure - Seizure disorder - Wada test Related subjects Neurology - Ne

Once feared and misunderstood even among the medical community, epilepsy has since largely been demystified. Besides the characteristic seizures, various cognitive, behavioral, and emotional difficulties are recognized as associated with the condition, and patients are finding relief in medical management and/or surgical intervention. Not surprisingly, neuropsychology has emerged as a major component in treatment planning, program development, and assessment of surgical candidates. Geared toward beginning as well as veteran clinicians, the Handbook on the Neuropsychology of Epilepsy offers readers a skills-based framework for assessment and treatment, using current evidence and standardized terminology. Expert coverage reviews widely-used methods for evaluating key aspects of patient functioning (MRI, MEG, electrocortical mapping, the Wada test), and presents guidelines for psychotherapeutic and cognitive remediation strategies in treating comorbid psychiatric conditions. Given the diversity of the patient population, additional chapters spotlight issues specific to subgroups including high- and low-functioning as well as geriatric and pediatric patients. This integrative hands-on approach benefits a range of practitioners across medical and neurological settings. Topics featured in the Handbook: Neuropsychological assessment across the lifespan. Evaluating the epilepsy surgical candidate: methods and procedures. The Wada test: current perspectives and applications. Assessing psychiatric and personality disorders in the epilepsy patient. Evaluation and management of psychogenic non-epileptic attacks. Neuropsychological assessment with culturally diverse patients. Practical and flexible in its coverage, the Handbook on the Neuropsychology of Epilepsy serves not only neuropsychologists and neurologists but also primary care physicians such as internists, family physicians, and pediatricians.