Epilepsy: habilitation and rehabilitation.
Rehabilitation represents not only a distinct field of medicine, but also a philosophical and practical treatment approach that can be applied to a variety of chronic disorders. Neurology encompasses many chronic disorders, making it ideal for the application of rehabilitation principles in daily practice. Epilepsy offers a unique opportunity to incorporate rehabilitation principles into the management of a complex medical disorder. Epilepsy is an evolving disease process that changes with the maturation of the central nervous system. The rehabilitative model provides the framework for a dynamic treatment plan to meet the changing needs of the child with epilepsy through the social and developmental changes of childhood, adolescence, and adulthood. The development of epilepsy may complicate the recovery from many acute and chronic conditions that affect the central nervous system. The rehabilitation process must address these many aspects of the disease process and its sequelae. This makes neurologists uniquely qualified to manage the rehabilitation team. The impact of the therapeutic milieu on the recovery process may be as important as any specific medical or surgical intervention.
Marks
Warren A
WA
Department of Neurology, Cooks Children 's Medical Center, Fort Worth, TX 76104, USA.
Hernandez
Angel
A
Gabriel
Marsha
M
D002648:Child; D004827:Epilepsy / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D006801:Humans; D010348:Patient Care Team