The first scientific journal dedicated to the field of Pediatric Epilepsy

This inaugural issue of Journal of Pediatric Epilepsy (JPE) is the result of greater than one-year’s effort to produce a high-quality journal specifically addressing seizures and epilepsy in infants and children. This topic has been covered piecemeal by other publications so onemust ask, “Do we really need another journal?” The answer from many Editorial Board members was, “Yes!” What makes JPE unique? The readers and contributors. Editorial Board members (and we presume, readers) include epileptologists, neurosurgeons, neuropsychologists, nurses, and others who have dedicated their careers to the study of epilepsy. This assemblage of people reflects our understanding that epilepsy is not just about ordering an electroencephalogram and writing a prescription for medications. Diagnostic and therapeutic options need to encompass the whole patient. JPE seeks to serve as a forum where we can share knowledge and insights about our diverse group of patients. JPE’s objective is to fill an important niche, serving as the first one dedicated to the study of seizures and epilepsy in children. Recent advances in genetics and neuroimaging have provided us with tools to better diagnose and prognosticate for our patients. New medicines, surgical approaches, and devices are described every year. Despite all these technical advances, the most essential initial step in approaching any patient is a careful history taken by a busy clinician who has been burdened with absorbing all of these advances and processing them into something that can be operationally useful at the bedside. At the same time, clinicians need to understand all of the important epilepsy comorbidities and the social context in which our patients live on a daily basis. How can we do it all? JPE’s goal is to help the epilepsy practitioner learn about important clinical findings by publishing rigorously-performed clinical research and carefully documented case reports. Basic science is a critical underpinning ofmany of the advances previously noted; and, we also hope to incorporate important findings from the laboratory, especially in its translational form. Timely and critical reviews of important topics and book reviews will complete JPE’s academic contributions. In other words, we will strive to make JPE the first place that epilepsy clinicians and investigators turn when theywant to share an observation or learn something new. It is our expectation that findings first reported in this journal will be cited by others because of their impact and relevance. Creating JPE’s Editorial Board was remarkably easy, reflecting the enthusiasm and thirst of our professional community for this type of publication. We anticipate producing a vibrant journal that adapts over time to new approaches in conveying important information. We ask that our editorial board and readership provide feedback to ensure that JPE is the most useful journal in our field, with all of us asking questions and learning from one another. Our patients deserve nothing less. *Corresponding author: Adam L. Hartman, Johns Hopkins Hospital, 600 N. Wolfe St, Meyer 2-147, Baltimore, MD 21287, USA. Tel.: +1 410 955 9100 (office); Fax: +1 410 614 0373; E-mail: ahartma2@jhmi.edu. Journal of Pediatric Epilepsy 1 (2012) 1 DOI 10.3233/PEP-2012-001 IOS Press 1