This comprehensive, multidisciplinary approach to epilepsy compares and contrasts scientific knowledge, clinical experience and social consciousness between Western and non-Western cultures, enhancing transcultural understanding and providing a paradigm for an integrative, truly global health policy for this disorder. Topics covered include pharmacological and non-pharmacological management of epilepsy; care models and traditional medical systems; service organization in resource-limited countries; cultural perspectives on consequences of epilepsy; social, anthropological, economic, political, and spiritual issues related to living with epilepsy; infectious and non-infectious causes and risk-factors; region-specific syndromes.