Behavioural Neurology of Anti-epileptic Drugs: A Practical Guide

The Behavioural Neurology of Antiepileptic Drugs is the first clinically oriented reference book on the use of antiepileptic drugs with a focus on their behavioural effects in both patients with epilepsy and patients with primary psychiatric conditions. This book provides a pocket-sized guide to assist neurologists in the use of antiepileptic drugs when treating patients with epilepsy and associated behavioural problems. Psychiatrists treating patients with affective, anxiety, and psychotic disorders will also find this compendium on the behavioural aspects of antiepileptic drugs as a useful tool for their clinical practice. The book is organized alphabetically by antiepileptic drug for easier information gathering, enabling physicians to use the text as a standalone reference in busy clinical settings, such as specialist epilepsy clinics or general psychiatry ward rounds. Particular care was taken in covering the breadth of medications used in modern epilepsy and psychiatry practice, including each drug’s indications, contra-indications, side-effects and important interactions. The underlying pharmacology is also presented to provide a quick refresher and background on the underlying mechanisms. Practical aspects related to prescribing and therapeutic drug monitoring are covered following the most up-to-date evidence based guidance. Each drug monograph closes with a section providing a visual rating in terms of antiepileptic indications, behavioural tolerability, interactions in polytherapy, and psychiatric use, again drawing on the existing evidence. A selected reference list is included to provide readers with the primary sources for clinically-relevant information presented in a concise way within each chapter.