Nonconvulsive Status Epilepticus

by Frank W. Drislane MD, Peter W. Kaplan MD

Overview

The only comprehensive source of information on this frequently misdiagnosed problem, with information critical for physicians, ER and ICU doctors, and psychiatrists.

An under-recognized condition that can potentially cause brain damage and even death, nonconvulsive status epilepticus (NCSE) is an important clinical problem, occurring in about 25% of status epilepsy cases. Despite this prevalence, Nonconvulsive Status Epilepticus is the first comprehensive clinical text to cover its diagnosis and management.

The book progresses logically, beginning with chapters discussing the history and classification of NCSE, reflecting a contemporary understanding of developmental, syndromic, and clinical aspects. Following chapters discuss relevant epidemiology, electrophysiology, imaging and pathophysiology of NCSE, with supplementary sections devoted to psychiatric and behavioral aspects of NCSE and to the different diagnostic considerations of its frequently unusual behavioral presentations.

Highlights include:

An emphasis on diagnosis, management, and all pertinent clinical issues

A heavily illustrated section on EEG interpretation in NCSE

Contributions by the foremost international experts on NCSE

Throughout, the book maintains a practical focus on recognizing the key signs and symptoms of this subtly presented and clinically challenging condition. This multidisciplinary volume will provide physicians, ER and ICU doctors, and psychiatrists with a comprehensive source of information and opinion on nonconvulsive status epilepticus.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781934559604
Publisher:	Springer Publishing Company
Publication date:	11/05/2008
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	216
File size:	4 MB

About the Author

Frank W. Drislane, MD, is Professor and Director of Inpatient Epilepsy and Consultative Services at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Boston, MA.

Peter W. Kaplan, MD, is Professor of Neurology at the Johns Hopkins Bayview Medical Center, Baltimore, MD.

Table of Contents

General Considerations in Nonconvulsive Status Epilepticus; The History of NCSE; The Classification of NCSE; The Epidemiology of NCSE; The EEG of NCSE; Controversial EEG Patterns and NCSE; Imaging in NCSE; Pathophysiology in NCSE; Focal Nonconvulsive Status Epilepticus; Frontal Lobe NCSE; Parietal Lobe NCSE; Temporal Lobe NCSE; Occipital Lobe NCSE; Generalized/Absence Nonconvulsive Status Epilepticus; NCSE in Idiopathic and Other Generalized Epilepsies Including Absence Status Epilepticus; NCSE in Critically Ill and Comatose ICU Patients; Semiology of Nonconvulsive Status Epilepticus; NCSE: A Mimicker of Neurologic Disorders; Psychiatric Manifestations of NCSE; Nonconvulsive Status Epilepticus in Populations at Risk and By Age; NCSE in Infants; NCSE in Children; NCSE in the Elderly; NCSE: Specially Considerations in the Mentally Retarded; Management and Prognosis of Status Epilepticus; Principles of Treatment of NCSE; Prognosis and Outcome of Infants and Children with NCSE; Prognosis and Outcome of Adults with NCSE.

Editorial Reviews

Reviewer:Katherine Noe, MD, PhD(Mayo Clinic Hospital)
Description:This comprehensive review of nonconvulsive status epilepticus covers epidemiology, pathophysiology, electroencephalographic findings, clinical presentations, and management.
Purpose:The purpose is to provide a detailed summary of this often overlooked condition in order to facilitate increased understanding and treatment. The authors also propose a novel classification system for nonconvulsive status epilepticus based on age, anatomy, epilepsy syndrome, and encephalopathic features. The book is timely as increased availability of EEG monitoring in the last decade has heightened recognition of this condition, while controversies regarding diagnostic criteria and appropriate management abound, often leaving clinicians in a quandary as to how to manage patients. The book succeeds in providing an overview of the current state of the art in both common and uncommon types of nonconvulsive status.
Audience:The targeted audience is practicing neurologists, emergency and intensive care physicians, and mental healthcare providers. I recommend it particularly to epileptologists and neuroscientists with an interest in status epilepticus. The contributors are recognized authorities in the field.
Features:The book reviews the epidemiology and management of subtypes of nonconvulsive status epilepticus, recognizing the current limitations and controversies due to lack of standardized definitions, classification schemes, and treatment strategies. Individual chapters focus on subtypes of nonconvulsive status classified by anatomic localization and age group. For general neurologists, Bujarski and Sperling's chapter describing how nonconvulsive status can mimic other neurologic disorders with detailed differential diagnoses will be of particular interest. The discussion of presentations in critically ill patients is another area of strength, useful to those providing care in the intensive care setting. Other topics such as parietal and occipital lobe status epilepticus are limited in scope due to a lack of available evidence, and are largely limited to case reports.
Assessment:This will be useful to those with an interest in subspecialty epilepsy. It provides a previously lacking overview of the current state of the art in an area that remains underrecognized, understudied, and is often controversial even amongst epileptologists.