Intended for parents of children with seizures, the booklet provides information on etiology, treatment, diagnosis and management of epilepsy. The following topics are briefly discussed: why seizures occur, factors that may increase the frequency of seizures, types of seizures, ways to protect the child from accidental injury, and future…

This commentary on a study comparing use of the brand-name drug Depakene with generic valproic acid to control seizures in people with mental retardation notes the importance of distinguishing between Depakene and Depakote, which is an enteric-coated formulation for which there is no generic form currently available. (DB)

To study the effectiveness of topiramate (TPM) in refractory epilepsy in patients who have intellectual disability (ID). A representative population sample of 57 patients with ID (age range 261, mean 32.8) was administered add-on TPM for drug-refractory epilepsy. Results Seizure freedom for at least for 6months was attained by 10 (17%), and…

The paper looks at epilepsy, with emphasis on student problems and the role of the teacher. Initial sections describe characteristics of absence seizures, generalized tonic-clonic (grand mal) seizures, and complex partial seizures. The educator's role is considered relating to three areas: medical problems, social problems, and psychological…

Wechsler Memory Scale-Revised (WMS-R) scores were analyzed for 82 epilepsy surgery candidates and used in combination with receiver operating characteristic curves to classify patients with left (LTL) and right (RTL) temporal lobe seizure onset. Results indicate that WMS-R scores used alone or in combination provide relatively poor discrimination…

Velocardiofacial syndrome (VCFS) is caused by a micro deletion of chromosome 22q11 and associated with multiple system abnormalities. There is an increasing recognition of associations with psychiatric disorders. Neurological and brain abnormalities have been reported but to date no association with generalized epilepsy has been reported in…

Epilepsy is one of the most common diseases to affect the human nervous system, affecting approximately 0.5% of school-age children (Leppik, 2001; Kaleyias et al., 2005). Epilepsy has the potential to profoundly impact a child's adjustment to school. A large body of literature documents that children with epilepsy are at an increased risk for…

Intended for young children suffering from seizure disorders, the booklet explains what a seizure disorder is, encourages the asking of questions, provides a simple explanation of how seizures happen and what effects they have, describes various kinds of seizures, and stresses the importance of taking prescribed medication regularly. Also stressed…

Interviewed were 115 parents of children receiving medication for hyperactivity, convulsive disorders, or other reasons. Parents received a Children's Medication Chart (CMC) which contained life size pictures of 69 different products to aid parents in identifying medication. The telephone interview covered such aspects as frequency of…

This article discusses the widespread belief that vigorous athletics are off limits to epileptic children and young people. (JS)

A collection of highly technical scientific articles by international basic and clinical neuroscientists constitutes a review of their knowledge of the brain and nervous system, particularly the aspects related to loss of brain function control and its explosive discharges which cause epileptic seizures. Anatomy, biophysics, biochemistry, and…

The paper synthesizes information about epilepsy (definition and categories of seizures, types of seizures, and treatment) and notes its impact upon persons with severe/profound handicaps. The need for a transdisciplinary team in case management is cited. (CL)

Three retarded epileptic individuals (17 to 22 years old) with a variety of seizure disorders were provided with 8 to 12 Hz occipital EEG biofeedback training. While seizures were not totally eliminated in any of the Ss, the results of the study indicated that all Ss exhibited decreases in some aspect of their seizure activity. (Author)

Epilepsy has one of the worst social outcomes for child development of the common disabilities. For most children, epilepsy is not nearly the physical challenge that many other chronic health disorders are. The problem in raising a child with epilepsy is much more emotional and social. In this first part of a three-part article series, the author…

Epilepsy is the most misunderstood of all neurological disorders known to man. Even though modern medicine (a very recent development in human history) learned that epilepsy was a common variation in biology, the roots laid down by centuries of misunderstanding have yet to be pulled from the society's social consciousness. While medicine and now…