Handbook on the Neuropsychology of Epilepsy

Epilepsy is a prevalent condition affecting approximately 1% of the general population. Its behavioral effects on cognition and memory can be as debilitating as the physical aspects caused by ongoing seizures. This book is intended primarily for clinical neuropsychologists who encounter patients with epilepsy, either through employment in academic medical centers or in general practice. The book is of particular value to those working in a comprehensive epilepsy center, as the volume provides extensive coverage of the many clinical procedures performed in that setting. Procedures reviewed in this volume include neuropsychological testing, the Wada procedures, and brain mapping. Chapters include descriptions of the purpose of these procedures, reviews of the recent literature, clinical vignettes, in addition to concrete recommendations on how to actually conduct the procedures. Many chapters provide examples of test forms and stimuli useful for conducting some of the procedures reviewed in this book. Neurologists and pediatricians will also find this book to be helpful, as many medical practitioners consider the activities of clinical neuropsychologists working in their settings to be somewhat mysterious. This book makes the details of neuropsychological practice in an epilepsy setting more accessible than what has been present in prior literature.

William B. Barr, Ph.D., ABPP is the chief of neuropsychology at the NYU Comprehensive Epilepsy Center and an associate professor of neurology and psychiatry at the NYU School of Medicine. Included among his clinical duties are neuropsychological assessments, Wada tests, and brain mapping procedures on patients undergoing surgical treatment for epilepsy. He also specializes in neuropsychological assessment of patients with memory disorders resulting from brain injury, dementia, psychiatric disorders, and medical illness. His primary research interests include memory and other aspects of cognitive and behavioral functioning in epilepsy. He also researches sports concussion and serves at the neuropsychological consultant to various sports teams around the New York region. Dr. Barr is board certified in clinical neuropsychology, with more than 20 years of experience in working with epilepsy patients in specialized settings. He lectures extensively on the topic and has trained a generation of neuropsychologists working in epilepsy settings across the country.Chris E. Morrison, Ph.D., ABPP is a clinical neuropsychologist at the NYU Comprehensive Epilepsy Center. She received her doctoral degree from the City University of New York Graduate School at Queens College. After completing her internship at Long Island Jewish Medical Center, she received grant funding for a post-doctoral fellowship at Mount Sinai Medical Center (specializing in movement disorders) and then went on to complete a second fellowship at the NYU Comprehensive Epilepsy Center. In her current faculty position at the CEC, she is involved with clinical, training, and research activities. Her research interests include the cognitive, behavioral, and affective sequelae of neurological diseases and their treatments, with a specific focus on epilepsy and movement disorders, and she has published in these areas. She is an active member in state and international organizations that represent the interests of the field of neuropsychology. Dr. Morrison is board certified in clinical neuropsychology, with extensive particular expertise in performing specialized neuropsychological procedures including the Wada test and both intraoperative and extraoperative language mapping. Dr. Morrison is actively engaged in research on these procedures and in training graduate students on how to work with epilepsy patients.