Temporal Lobe Epilepsy 1948 to 1986 is a prospective study in biographical medicine. The four decades covered have yielded several revolutions in the understanding of brain development both normal and abnormal. These are described in their biographical context. The book is based on a comprehensive study of one hundred children with temporal lobe epilepsy, all of whom were followed to adulthood. A separate study was made of eighty-two patients treated by neurosurgery. The authors employ a novel and revolutionary approach that emphasizes the relevance of the disease and its associated problems to each person's life history. Flow charts are used to illustrate critical developmental factors. The work is a paradigm of the practice of medicine and surgery as part of human biological science. It provides lessons of direct relevance to all clinicians involved in the treatment of patients with epilepsy.

Foreword by: Jean Aicardi