Quality of Life in Epilepsy : Beyond Seizure Counts in Assessment and Treatment

Though clinical aspects of epilepsy such as seizure control are crucially important to its management, increasing attention is being given to wider quality of life issues. Epilepsy continues to be an often misunderstood and stigmatising condition; for the vast majority of people whose seizures can be well controlled, the social and psychological repercussions are often of greater significance than the seizures themselves. The increasing emphasis on the importance of non-clinical outcomes in the assessment of new treatments and management strategies for chronic conditions such as epilepsy has stimulated interest in methodological issues in assessing quality of life. This book reviews the recent literature on the impact of epilepsy on everyday experience and the methodological issues involved in assessing that impact. It also considers the perspectives of a range of health professionals involved in caring for people with epilepsy and how, through appropriate management, the impact on their lives can be minimised.