Epilepsy: Mechanisms, Models, and Translational Perspectives

Epilepsy has afflicted humankind throughout recorded history; yet, it is only in the last half-century, that significant progress has been made in our basic understanding of the epileptic brain. Pivotal advances in drug development and surgical techniques, as well as the emergence of innovative approaches such as electrical stimulation of the nervous system, have led to a substantial reduction in the morbidity and mortality of patients with epilepsy. At the same time, remarkable developments in neuroscience have enhanced our understanding of brain structure and function.

Epilepsy: Mechanisms, Models, and Translational Perspectives incorporates new translational advances that bring epilepsy therapies from the laboratory bench to the bedside and back again. It brings together the work of more than 70 of the field’s most respected and cutting-edge researchers and clinicians. In 24 chapters, this extraordinarily comprehensive and current work:

Offers an overview of the basic anatomic and functional substrates of seizure genesis and considers novel pathogenic concepts that have both emerged and been validated experimentally

• Examines antiepileptic drug therapy, including the latest on molecular targets



• Looks at the state of surgical treatments for epilepsy and discusses advances in the fields of structural and functional neuroimaging



• Reviews the variety of nontraditional therapeutic options, such as the ketogenic diet, the vagus nerve stimulator, immunomodulators, neurosteroids, herbs, and botanicals



• Investigates neuroendocrine, hormonal, and biobehavioral factors that influence seizure susceptibility―information that can be incorporated into the design of treatment algorithms on an individualized basis



• Provides a glimpse of what future epilepsy therapies might look like, from novel mechanisms of drug delivery to gene and stem-cell therapies for epilepsy to seizure detection meth

Jong M. Rho, MD, is a senior staff scientist at the Barrow Neurological Institute and St. Joseph’s Hospital & Medical Center in Phoenix, Arizona. After obtaining an undergraduate degree in molecular biophysics and biochemistry at Yale University, Dr. Rho received his medical degree from the University of Cincinnati. Following a pediatric residency at the University of Southern California Children’s Hospital of Los Angeles and a neurology residency at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), School of Medicine, he completed fellowships in pediatric neurology at the UCLA School of Medicine and in neuropharmacology at the National Institutes of Health (NIH). Dr. Rho’s main research interests are the mechanisms underlying the anticonvulsant and neuroprotective effects of the ketogenic diet, neuropharmacology of anticonvulsant compounds, and the study of surgically respected human epileptic tissue. His research activities have been sponsored by several NIH research grants, as well as a variety of intramural and extramural public and private sector sources. Dr. Rho has served on the editorial boards of Epilepsia and Epilepsy Currents and has been a regular reviewer for research grants submitted to the NIH. In addition to an extensive list of publications in basic science and pediatric neurology peer-reviewed journals, Dr. Rho has written numerous book chapters and edited several books and is a popular national and international guest lecturer.

Raman Sankar, MD, PhD, is a professor of neurology and pediatrics and chief of pediatric neurology at the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA. He holds the Rubin Brown Distinguished Chair in Pediatric Neurology. Dr. Sankar obtained his doctorate from the University of Washington in medicinal chemistry and was involved in teaching and research for several years prior to entering Tulane Medical School, where he obtained his medical degree. He trained in p