Over 12 million people with epilepsy have seizures that cannot be
controlled by antiepileptic drugs. The term "drug-resistance" is
abundantly used in the epilepsy literature but the definitions proposed
differ considerably. It is used indifferently in a number of different
settings: as a criterion for selection of patients eligible for new
antiepileptic drug trials, for the selection of surgical candidates, for
the design of epidemiological studies, for the design of studies on
quality of life, for the definition of the epileptic encephalopathies
(in comparison to more benign epilepsy syndromes), to mention but a few.
As a result, available studies are usually not comparable and referral
to epilepsy specialists is unacceptably delayed. The volume includes
several focused chapters on all issues relating to drug-resistance and
offers the basis for a consensus on a clinically meaningful core
definition.