Epileptic seizure disorders. Developments in diagnosis and therapy.

There has been considerable progress in various segments of epileptology over the past two to three decades. The diagnostic sector has benefited from more advanced and sophisticated EEG-related techniques. The advent of computerized tomography has expedited the clinical evaluation of epileptic patients and new high-technology methods have been introduced. A new type of diagnostic subdivision (based on age-determined epileptic conditions and certain epileptic syndromes) is of great practical significance because of its prognostic implications (distinction of basically benign and severe forms of epileptic seizure disorders). The therapeutic sector has been stimulated by the introduction of new antiepileptic medications and particularly by profound insights into metabolic and pharmacokinetic characteristics of anticonvulsants; this has resulted in the introduction of techniques for serum level determinations. There have been new developments in the field of neurosurgical treatment of epileptic seizure disorders.