Why Do I Publish in Epilepsy & Behavior (and Why Everyone else Should).

The reason for my initial association with Epilepsy & Behavior (read “Steven Schachter”) was rather superficial. I became interested in neurobehavioral comorbidities of epilepsy in mid-2000s and after completing my first study on the epilepsy-depression connection, I started working on a manuscript, with my mind set on Epilepsia (or maybe that was The Lancet, I do not remember for sure). While searching for literature for the Introduction and the Discussion, I ran into several papers in a journal that I had not heard about. I went on the journal website to download the articles, when my eyes fell on the cover artwork. “What a cool cover!” I thought and, instead of downloading and reading the articles, I spent the rest of the day exploring the covers for different issues. This was probably a vain, but certainly an exciting exercise, something akin walking through an elegant art gallery. At the end, I was firmly set on blowing off The Lancet and submitting to Epilepsy & Behavior instead, and so I did. After the revision, the paper was accepted [ [1] Mazarati A. Shin D. Auvin S. Caplan R. Sankar R. Kindling epileptogenesis in immature rats leads to persistent depressive behavior. Epilepsy Behav. 2007; 10: 377-383https://doi.org/10.1016/j.yebeh.2007.02.001 Abstract Full Text Full Text PDF PubMed Scopus (71) Google Scholar ], and only few days later, I received an email, which, as I first thought, contained the proofs (“So soon!”). That was only partially true. Those were not the Publisher’s proofs, but my manuscript proofread and edited by Steve! The edits included style (judgment call…), grammar (Guilty!), and even corrections to a figure (a typo in an axis title, big deal!). I was truly struck by this level of involvement, attention to details, and an obvious deep care about the quality of the publication; never before I experienced anything even remotely similar with any other journal. This repeated again and again with all my subsequent submissions [ 2 Pineda E. Jentsch J.D. Shin D. Griesbach G. Sankar R. Mazarati A. Behavioral impairments in rats with chronic epilepsy suggest comorbidity between epilepsy and attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder. Epilepsy Behav. 2014; 31: 267-275https://doi.org/10.1016/j.yebeh.2013.10.004 Abstract Full Text Full Text PDF PubMed Scopus (39) Google Scholar , 3 Washington 3rd, J. Kumar U. Medel-Matus J.S. Shin D. Sankar R. Mazarati A. Cytokine-dependent bidirectional connection between impaired social behavior and susceptibility to seizures associated with maternal immune activation in mice. Epilepsy Behav. 2015; 50: 40-45https://doi.org/10.1016/j.yebeh.2015.05.040 Abstract Full Text Full Text PDF PubMed Scopus (10) Google Scholar , 4 Medel-Matus J.S. Shin D. Sankar R. Mazarati A. Kindling epileptogenesis and panic-like behavior: Their bidirectional connection and contribution to epilepsy-associated depression. Epilepsy Behav. 2017; 77: 33-38https://doi.org/10.1016/j.yebeh.2017.10.001 Abstract Full Text Full Text PDF PubMed Scopus (14) Google Scholar , 5 Mazarati A. Can we and should we use animal models to study neurobehavioral comorbidities of epilepsy?. Epilepsy Behav. 2019; 101: 106566https://doi.org/10.1016/j.yebeh.2019.106566 Abstract Full Text Full Text PDF PubMed Scopus (1) Google Scholar ]. I still cannot wrap my head around it – was it just me, or was it Steve’s mode of operation? In my present role as an Associate Editor, I appreciate the amount of time and effort even more. Thank you, Steve for saving me from the embarrassment!