Ebook: Neuropsychology of Childhood Epilepsy

This book is devoted to the neuropsychological description of childhood epilepsy, a neurolo- cal condition that constitutes one of the most prevalent forms of chronic and disabling childhood illnesses. Indeed, one child out of 20 experiences one or more seizures before the age of 5, and one in a hundred develops epilepsy as a chronic disorder. Approximately half of these children with epilepsy display academic difficulties and/or behavioral disorders. Moreoever, it is now believed that a sizable proportion of children with learning disability suffer from undiagnosed epilepsy. While a great number of textbooks have been devoted to various medical aspects of chi- hood epilepsy (diagnosis, genetics, etiology, drug and surgical treatment, etc.), there have been no comprehensive accounts of the cognitive consequences of this condition. Advance of medical knowledge has shown that childhood epilepsy should not be considered as a single disorder but encompasses a whole range of different conditions that exhibit specific clinical EEG and outcome characteristics. It is not becoming apparent that these various clinical entities have different cognitive expression that yet need to be specified. The purpose of this book is to provide a complete up-to-date analysis of this multi-faceted pathology.

---

While a great number of textbooks have been devoted to various medical aspects of childhood epilepsy, none have been as comprehensive and forthright as Neuropsychology of Childhood Epilepsy. Devoted to the neuropsychological description of childhood epilepsy, the editors have uncovered this neurological condition as never before. Divided into three sections, section one may be highly regarded as a necessary introduction to the neuropsychological basis of childhood epilepsy, electro-clinical patterns of various types of epilepsy and brain maturation while section two delves into the characterization of the neuropsychological profile that accompanies focal epilepsies leading to the behavioral and cognitive impairments linked to the transient events that often go unnoticed. Part three covers the medical, surgical and socio-educational management of childhood epilepsy. bsenteeism, learning difficulties, and cognitive dysfunctions may have an impact on a child's self-esteem and upon his or her quality of life. The final part of the volume therefore presents an accurate account of the vast psychological consequences of this disease. This volume is a must read for experimental and cognitive neuropsychologists, medical specialists involved in the care of children with epilepsy and professionals and caretakers dealing with the different aspects of childhood epilepsy alike.