Women with Epilepsy: A Handbook of Health and Treatment Issues

Cover......Page 1
Half-title......Page 3
Title......Page 5
Copyright......Page 6
Contents......Page 7
Contributors......Page 10
Part I The woman with epilepsy......Page 15
Introduction: why we wrote this book......Page 17
2 On being a woman with epilepsy......Page 21
A chapter from my story......Page 24
Taking charge: one woman’s approach to seizure management......Page 27
The fear factor......Page 28
Looking forward......Page 29
3 The woman with epilepsy: a historical perspective......Page 31
Epilepsy in women: a history......Page 35
The role of menstruation......Page 37
Marriage and pregnancy......Page 41
Therapies for epilepsy......Page 44
Summary......Page 46
SELECTED REFERENCES......Page 47
What is ‘quality of life’?......Page 49
Whose perceptions do we value?......Page 50
Psychological issues......Page 51
Social issues......Page 52
How can we evaluate HRQOL in epilepsy?......Page 54
What can the neurologist do to improve quality of life for patients?......Page 56
SELECTED REFERENCES......Page 57
Part II Epilepsy diagnosis and treatment......Page 59
5 The genetics of epilepsy......Page 61
General information about epilepsy......Page 62
Chromosomes......Page 63
X-linked dominant disease......Page 65
Is epilepsy inherited?......Page 66
Generalized versus localization-related epilepsy......Page 67
Do mothers and fathers with epilepsy have different risks of having children with epilepsy?......Page 68
Future directions and implications......Page 69
SELECTED REFERENCES......Page 70
Introduction......Page 71
Pathology......Page 74
Genetics......Page 75
Epidemiology......Page 72
Classification......Page 76
Diagnosis......Page 79
SELECTED REFERENCES......Page 81
7 Antiepileptic drugs and other treatments for epilepsy......Page 82
How antiepileptic drugs work......Page 83
Choosing the proper antiepileptic drug......Page 84
The meaning of drug levels......Page 85
Side effects......Page 86
Drug effects specific to women......Page 87
Newer antiepileptic drugs......Page 88
Other therapies......Page 89
SELECTED REFERENCES......Page 90
Seizures......Page 91
Childhood absence epilepsy......Page 92
Benign focal epilepsy of childhood with centro-temporal spikes (rolandic seizures)......Page 93
Juvenile absence epilepsy......Page 94
Generalized tonic—clonic seizures on awakening......Page 95
Antiepileptic drug interactions......Page 96
Alternative therapies......Page 97
Educational issues......Page 98
Peer issues......Page 99
Driving issues for the adolescent......Page 100
Conclusion......Page 101
SELECTED REFERENCES......Page 102
What are nonepileptic seizures?......Page 103
What causes nonepileptic seizures?......Page 105
How can doctors tell the difference between epileptic seizures and nonepileptic seizures?......Page 106
What is the best way to diagnose nonepileptic seizures?......Page 108
What is the treatment for nonepileptic seizures and what is the outlook?......Page 109
Summary......Page 110
SELECTED REFERENCES......Page 111
Part III Hormones and the brain......Page 113
10 Brain differences......Page 115
Brain development......Page 116
Cognitive skills in men and women......Page 118
Cognitive differences associated with the hormonal environment......Page 120
Cognitive changes in response to brain injury or disease......Page 121
Studies in men and women with epilepsy......Page 122
SELECTED REFERENCES......Page 124
11 Sex hormones and how they act in the brain: a primer on the molecular mechanisms of action of sex steroid hormones......Page 126
SELECTED REFERENCES......Page 132
12 Epilepsy and the menstrual cycle......Page 133
What happens in normal menstruation?......Page 134
What changes in menstrual cycles occur in women with epilepsy?......Page 135
What are the causes of catamenial seizures?......Page 137
How can Itell if seizures are affected by menstrual cycles?......Page 139
What treatments are available for catamenial epilepsy?......Page 141
SELECTED REFERENCES......Page 144
Introduction......Page 145
Natural history of menopause......Page 146
Heart disease......Page 147
Bone disorders and osteoporosis......Page 148
Effects of menopause on women with epilepsy and seizures......Page 150
Effect of menopause on seizures......Page 151
Antiepileptic medications in menopause......Page 152
Hormone replacement therapy in menopause......Page 153
SELECTED REFERENCES......Page 155
Part IV Health challenges for women with epilepsy......Page 157
Introduction......Page 159
The menstrual cycle......Page 161
SELECTED REFERENCES......Page 164
15 Sexual dysfunction in epilepsy......Page 166
Summary......Page 176
SELECTED REFERENCES......Page 177
16 Bone health in women with epilepsy......Page 178
SELECTED REFERENCES......Page 183
Introduction......Page 185
Adjustment disorders......Page 187
Major depression......Page 188
Dysthymic disorder......Page 190
Atypical depressive syndromes......Page 191
Medication-induced mood disorders......Page 192
Anxiety disorders......Page 193
Psychotic disorders......Page 195
Ictal disturbances......Page 196
Peri-ictal disturbances......Page 197
Biological factors......Page 198
Psychosocial factors......Page 200
Major depression......Page 201
Antidepressant medications......Page 202
Psychotic symptoms......Page 204
Psychotherapy......Page 205
Summary......Page 206
SELECTEDREFERENCES......Page 207
Part V Family planning, pregnancy, and parenting......Page 209
Introduction......Page 211
Epilepsy treatment and effects on birth control......Page 212
Family planning......Page 214
19 Pregnancy risks for the woman with epilepsy......Page 217
Complications of pregnancy......Page 219
Infant mortality......Page 220
Neonatal hemorrhage......Page 221
Epilepsy in children of parents with epilepsy......Page 222
Management of the pregnant women with epilepsy......Page 223
Conclusion......Page 224
SELECTED REFERENCES......Page 225
Causes and mechanisms of birth defects/adverse outcomes......Page 229
Preventative measures......Page 232
Conclusion......Page 234
SELECTED REFERENCES......Page 235
21 Neurocognitive outcome in children of mothers with epilepsy......Page 236
Human studies......Page 237
Animal studies......Page 238
Conclusions and recommendations......Page 239
SELECTED REFERENCES......Page 240
22 Parenting for women with epilepsy......Page 242
SELECTED REFERENCES......Page 248
Part VI Living well with epilepsy......Page 249
23 The impact of epilepsy on relationships......Page 251
Teenage years......Page 254
College years......Page 256
Dating and establishing sexual relationships......Page 257
Marriage and parenthood......Page 259
SELECTED REFERENCES......Page 262
24 Parenting the daughter with epilepsy......Page 263
Learning about epilepsy......Page 267
Helping your daughter......Page 270
Coming to terms with having a daughter with epilepsy......Page 273
Postscript......Page 276
25 Safety issues for women with epilepsy......Page 277
Assessing risks......Page 278
Workplace issues and epilepsy......Page 279
Personal safety, women, and violence......Page 281
SELECTED REFERENCES......Page 282
Introduction......Page 283
Overview of the ADA as it relates to employment......Page 285
Qualified individual......Page 286
Procedures under the ADA......Page 288
Driver licensing and reporting......Page 289
Child custody and other family issues......Page 290
Insurance......Page 291
SELECTEDREFERENCES......Page 293
Cases......Page 294
27 Work issues and epilepsy......Page 295
Note......Page 300
A commitment to women......Page 301
The goals......Page 302
Information materials......Page 303
Health awareness......Page 304
Index......Page 305