Sections
Posttraumatic Epilepsy: Introduction | Epidemiology of Posttraumatic Epilepsy | Timing of Posttraumatic Seizures | Clinical Factors Related to Risk | Etiology/Pathophysiology | Posttraumatic Seizure Types | Diagnosis | Antiepileptic Drug Prophylaxis | Antiepileptic Drug Treatment | Surgical Treatment | Psychiatric Aspects of Epilepsy | Prognosis | Key Clinical Points | Recommended Resources | References
Excerpt
Recovery from a traumatic brain injury (TBI) involves
dealing with problems that can be physical, cognitive, and psychological
in nature. The development of posttraumatic epilepsy further complicates
recovery by means of the physical and psychological consequences
of seizures as well as the medications used for their treatment. Whereas
most posttraumatic symptoms show gradual improvement of variable
degree over time, epilepsy is unique in recurring suddenly and unexpectedly,
leading to a physical and psychological setback that can negatively
affect recovery and that has been shown to worsen functional outcome
after TBI (Asikainen et al. 1998).