Epilepsy: Beyond The Brain

This work addresses the diagnoses, treatment, and study of epilepsy critically. The purpose is to propose that the focus on the brain in the biomedical approach to epilepsy is insufficient for treating the epileptic, and for understanding his or her lived experience. To mitigate this problem, biomedical physicians should look beyond pharmaceuticals and biological pathways to find a more encompassing approach to healing as suggested by the lens of medical anthropology. This approach could lead to novel treatments and a more holistic understanding of the body. Which in turn could help mitigate the suffering of the estimated 70 million people with epilepsy 30% - 40% of whom are resistant to drug therapy.