Advances in Epileptology [antikvár]

Preface The XVth Epilepsy International Symposium was held in Washington, D.C., September 26-30, 1983. The Scientific Advisory Committee chose the abstracts from the 450 presented at the meeting that were acceptable for inclusion in this volume; because of page limitations, many worthy studies could not be included here. Abstracts of the American Epilepsy Society, with which the meeting was jointly held, were published separately in Epilepsia. We have organized the volume to progress from the more basic studies to the clinical studies to the psychosocial studies, allowing readers to seek their own interest in a logical fashion. The opening section consists of chapters on neurotransmitters and basic mechanisms; epilepsy investigators have not fully exploited the rapidly expanding research in neurotransmitters, despite the established relationship between recurrent seizures and abnormal neurotransmitter function. The next section is on emission tomography; to a greater extent than in other disorders, this technique has yielded dramatic results in the study of epilepsy. The section on antiepileptic drugs emphasizes the new skepticism about the usefulness of routine monitoring of free levels in clinical practice; clearly, more sophisticated and controlled trials are required to clarify these issues. The section on epilepsy, hormones, and pregnancy is especially well developed; the symposium on this difficult topic was longer than the other symposia and was partially supported by a grant from the National Institute of Neurological and Communicative Disorders and Stroke. A brief section on the very important subject of teratogenesis follows, with special emphasis on the new and provocative data on valproate. The section on clinical trials concentrates on two fundamental topics: the use of new investigational agents and the use of single agents in place of polytherapy. Other aspects of clinical studies are found in the following section, which includes electrophysiological investigations. The section on the surgery of epilepsy-a remarkably underutilized clinical area-follows, with extensive discussion of both old and new topics. The section on epidemiology and genetics emphasizes both generál and specific populations; this area has not been studied sufficiently, in part because of the limited number of highly qualified investigators. Similarly the study of the psychological and cognitive aspects of epilepsy is conducted by a small, highly dedicated group of investigators worldwide who are making most of the significant contributions. Employability, which begins the psychosocial portion of the volume, is a subject of extraordinary importance to those patients who would like to work but cannot find a suitable job; the difficulty is more societal than medical. Following logically is the section on government and epilepsy. As a group, governments are remarkably heterogeneous in the manner of caring for and assisting the patient with epilepsy. Last is a discussion of a new kind of resource for patients and their physicians; the