Diagnosis and treatment of epilepsy.

Epilepsy, one of the oldest identified neurological disorders, is now recognized as a major public health problem affecting about 1 percent of the population. The author differentiates between two major types of the disorder, the generalized and partial epilepsies, and describes different kinds of seizures in epileptic patients. The improved ability of the clinician to diagnose the disorder through use of electroencephalography, intensive monitoring, and CT scan is highlighted. The author concludes with a discussion of the major drugs used to control seizures, their biological half-lives, side effects, and how they interact with other antiepileptic drugs.