M. W. Hengeveld: lnteractions of epilepsy and psychiatrie training
What is the importance for an assistant psychiatrist of working in the Instituut voor Epilepsiebestrijding during his training, and what is the importance of the work of the assistant psychiatrist for the Instituut? This is the double question which will be discussed. The writer has carried out a retrospective study of 88 patients in the observation ward with respect to:
1. neurological and neuro-radiological disorders,
2. the number of those patients with evident psycho-social problems or psychiatric disorders and
3. the number in which the diagnosis of epilepsy could not be maintained.
With the help of literature and own experience of the writer, the problems with differential diagnoses in patients with epileptic seizures are discussed.
Again and again the assistant psychiatrist working in the observation ward has to search for possible neurological or psychiatric disorders and he is contributing much to the tackling of these problems.
He is trained to work with the interaction of physical functioning and behaviour of the patient.
The training for this form of integral medecine is, to the opinion of the writer, the most important thing the Instituut and the assistant psychiatrist can offer each other.