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This compendium is set against the background of new findings about the mechanisms involved in epilepsy, considered from different perspectives. It provides a historical overview of what has been achieved and presents the current state-of-the-art treatments in clinical practice. Regional differences in the treatment of the contributing specialists from various European countries and the United States have been taken into account; their respective guidelines are presented. This includes recommendations for children and adults, and also for the treatment of status epilepticus. Furthermore, a number of chapters deal with the mechanisms of classical and newly developed antiepileptic drugs as well as the therapeutic perspectives that arise from current research. This book is intended for current clinical practice, as a source of background information about the mechanisms of epilepsy and antiepileptic drugs, and also gives an outlook for the potential future therapeutic advances for this common disease.

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