Epilepsy

Patients with juvenile myoclonic epilepsy appear to have modest cognitive defects and imaging abnormalities early on that are unlikely to be associated with anti-epileptic therapy. This is a clear departure from traditional teaching.

The possibility of SUDEP should serve as a powerful motivator for improved adherence and active attempts at seizure control with new medications, neurostimulation, and epilepsy surgery.

Choosing a technique for a particular drug resistant patient is a judgment call based on the results of the patient’s monitoring, clinician experience, and many other factors.

The knowledge that a patient is at high or low risk for late seizures has the potential to improve patient care.

Persons with epilepsy have a higher prevalence of comorbid conditions-psychiatric disorders in particular-than the general population.

As clinicians, we can daily apply knowledge learned from a few patients with pure amnesia to patients we see often-those who have memory deficits, such as so-called Mild Cognitive Impairment and neurodegenerative diseases, such as Alzheimer's.

Recent studies are showing that patients with autoimmune associated epilepsy may respond favorably to immunosuppression and that many of affected patients lack the full-fledged syndromes that have received so much attention.