Advances in pharmacotherapy: recent developments in the treatment of epilepsy

Abstract

SUMMARY Epilepsy is a disorder of the central nervous system in which the clinical symptoms are recurrent seizures. An increased understanding of the underlying mechanism of seizures and more definitive diagnostic procedures have improved the care of the patient with epilepsy. An improved classification of various seizure types, including specific epilepsy syndromes has helped optimize use of the standard antiepileptic drugs. Research on the mechanism of seizures has led to new antiepileptic drugs. More definitive diagnostic procedures have led to more accurate identification of patients likely to benefit from epilepsy surgery. This review focuses on these areas.

The Leaf Essential Oil ofPsidium guyanensisOffers Protection Against Pentylenetetrazole-Induced Seizures

“…The protection offered by leaf oil was even total (100%) at a higher dose (400 mg/kg) and was comparable to phenobarbital (20 mg/kg), a known anticonvulsant drug. However, it failed to influence the seizure latency and the lethality produced by picrotoxin or strychnine wherein the inhibitory amino acids GABA and glycine, respectively play a role in their mechanism of convulsant action (14). It indicates that GABA and glycine are not endogenously modulated by the essential oil and the locus of its action is not at the spinal level but may be at the supraspinal sites or at the myoneural junction.…”