Oxford Textbook of Epilepsy and Epileptic Seizures

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 PowerPointRG. 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.

Simon Shorvon, National Hospital for Neurology and Neurosurgery, Queen Square, London, UK,Renzo Guerrini, Neuroscience Department, Children's Hospital A. Meyer-University of Florence, Florence, Italy,Mark Cook, Department of Clinical Neuroscience, St. Vincent's Hospital, Fitzroy, Australia,Samden Lhatoo, Department of Neurology, Case Medical Center, University Hospitals, Cleveland, OH, USA

Simon Shorvon is a Professor of Neurology at the UCL Institute of Neurology, University College London, and a Consultant Neurologist at the National Hospital for Neurology and Neurosurgery, London, UK.

Renzo Guerrini is Professor of Child Neurology and Psychiatry, and Director of the Pediatric Neurology Unit and Laboratories at the Children's Hospital, A. Meyer-University of Florence, Italy.


Mark Cook is Professor and Director of Neurology, St. Vincent's Hospital, Melbourne, Australia.


Samden Lhatoo is a Professor of Neurology at the Department of Neurology, Case Western Reserve University Hospital, Cleveland, USA.

1. Neurophysiology of epilepsy, Florin Amzica
2. Neurogenetics of epilepsy, Renzo Guerrini and Elena Parrini
3. Neurochemistry of epilepsy, Edward Hogan, Lawrence Eisenman, and B. Keith Day
4. Developmental neurobiology, neuroanatomy, and neuropathology of epilepsy, Ingmar Blumcke
5. Definitions and epidemiology of epilepsy, Shichuo Li, Ding Ding, and Jianzhong Wu
6. The causes of epilepsy, Simon Shorvon
7. Classification, clinical symptoms, and syndromes, Renzo Guerrini and Carmen Barba
8. Differential diagnosis of epilepsy, Kristina Malmgren, Markus Reuber, and Richard Appleton
9. EEG in the investigation of epilepsy, Stephan U. Schuele, Adriana C. Bermeo, and Samden D. Lhatoo
10. Neuroimaging in the Investigation of epilepsy, Trevor T.-J. Chong and Mark Cook
11. The biochemical, haematological, histological, immunological, and genetic investigation of epilepsy, Simon Shorvon
12. Non-pharmacological therapy of epilepsy, Peter Wolf, Katia Lin, and Marina Nikanorova
13. Reproductive aspects of epilepsy, Michael R. Johnson and John J. Craig
14. Neonatal seizures and infantile onset epilepsies, Elia Pestana Knight and Ingrid E. B. Tuxhorn
15. Epileptic encephalopathies, Renzo Guerrini and Carla Marini
16. Principles of treatment of epilepsy in children and adolescents, Renzo Guerrini
17. Epilepsy in learning disability, Tom Berney and Shoumitro Deb
18. Epilepsy in the elderly, Trevor T.-J. Chong and Wendyl D'Souza
19. Psychiatric co-morbidity in epilepsy, Marco Mula
20. Epilepsy due to traumatic brain injury (TBI), cerebrovascular disease (CVD), central nervous system (CNS) infections and brain tumours, Gagandeep Singh, J. M. K. Murthy, and Ashalata Radhakrishnan
21. Epilepsy in renal, hepatic, and other conditions, Aidan Neligan
22. Management of patients with first seizure and early epilepsy, Zachary Grinspan and Shlomo Shinnar
23. The medical treatment of chronic active epilepsy, Simon Shorvon
24. Epilepsy in remission, Jerry J. Shih
25. Drug interactions, Philip N. Patsalos
26. The pharmacokinetics and clinical therapeutics of the antiepileptic drugs, Mark Cook and Simon Shorvon
27. Principles of epilepsy surgery, Samden D. Lhatoo
28. Resective surgery of temporal lobe epilepsy, Simon V. Liubinas, Andrew P. Morokoff, and Terence J. O'Brien
29. Resective surgery of extra-temporal epilepsy, Shahram Amina and Hans O. Luders
30. Vagal berve stimulation and deep brain stimulation in epilepsy, Paul A.J.M. Boon and Kristl E. Vonck
31. Other surgeries for epilepsy and new approaches, Kitti Kaiboriboon and Samden Lhatoo
32. Management of seizures and of epilepsy in the emergency department, Andrea O. Rossetti
33. The management of status epilepticus on the intensive care unit, Erich Schmutzhard and Bettina Pfausler
34. Epilepsy and employment, Ann Jacoby
35. Sexual and emotional behaviour in epilepsy, Sarah J. Wilson and Jessie Bendavid
36. Cognition and memory in adults, Sallie Baxendale
37. Legal aspects of epilepsy and epilepsy and driving, Morris Odell