Pseudoseizures presents contributions from 15 authors in an attractive 231-page volume. Topics are divided into three major sections covering "Medical and Neurological Aspects"; "EEG, Intensive Monitoring, and Videotape"; and "Psychiatric Aspects." While pseudoseizures or hysterical epilepsy receives major attention, excellent chapters deal with conditions such as syncope, hyperventilation, and narcolepsy. Particularly valuable are the chapters dealing with the controversial subjects of aggression and epilepsy, and the "Legal Aspects of Pseudoseizures." In view of the broad spectrum of issues discussed, Gower's phrase "borderlands of epilepsy" (p 31) may be a more apt title for this book.
The contributors, primarily psychiatrists and neurologists from Great Britain, Canada, and the United States, vary in perspective. Style and content are somewhat uneven. Tables are used effectively to illustrate points concerning differential diagnosis in the chapter on narcolepsy. Discussion of "Management of Hysterical Seizures" shares valuable experience with this challenging patient population and emphasizes the