Overview: Antiepileptic Drugs Jacqueline A. French Elinor Ben-Menachem Introduction This section addresses pharmacologic treatment of the epilepsies. Despite the availability of other treatments, including surgery, various devices, and behavioral/homeopathic treatments,…
New Therapeutic Directions Robert S. Fisher Guy M. McKhann II John M. Stern Mark S. Quigg Jean Régis Donald L. Schomer Steven C. Schachter Annamaria Vezzani Introduction People with epilepsy,…
Complementary and Alternative Medical Therapies Steven C. Schachter Carlos Acevedo Keryma A. Acevedo Chi-Wan Lai Amadou G. Diop Introduction Despite the introduction of new antiepileptic drugs (AEDs), increasing use of…
Behavioral Therapies Peter Wolf To abolish this disease, one must apply the element which is opposed to it, and not what is favourable and habituated. On the Sacred Disease—Hippocrates Introduction…
Vagus Nerve Stimulation Steven C. Schachter Paul Boon Introduction For patients with medically refractory seizures, the major nonpharmacologic options are limited to epilepsy surgery, the ketogenic diet, and vagus nerve…
Sex-Hormone Treatment Andrew G. Herzog Introduction There is considerable scientific evidence at molecular biologic, neuronal, experimental animal, and clinical levels to indicate that reproductive steroids have neuroactive properties that play…
Ketogenic Diet Carl E. Stafstrom Eileen P. G. Vining Jong M. Rho Introduction The ketogenic diet (KD) is a high-fat, low-carbohydrate, adequate-protein diet that has been used as an alternative…
Prophylactic Treatment L. James Willmore Introduction Because antiepileptic drugs (AEDs) target brain structures for their effect, they are being used to treat several neurologic conditions other than epilepsy. While control…
Drug-resistant Epilepsy Warren T. Blume Introduction This chapter discusses some factors that promote antiepileptic drug-resistant epilepsy in 20% to 30% of patients who have seizure disorders. Accurate and prompt recognition…
Treatment of Status Epilepticus Brian K. Alldredge David M. Treiman Thomas P. Bleck Simon D. Shorvon Introduction Status epilepticus (SE) is a medical emergency that requires immediate and vigorous treatment…
