An overview on antiepileptic drugs

Abstract

Epilepsy is the most common chronic neurological disorder of the brain. For several decades different kinds of medications have been used to treat epilepsy. Even though many surgical advances has been made and implemented, medications remain the basis of treatment. The search for noble antiepileptic drugs (AEDs) with more selective activity and lower toxicity continues to be an area of intensive investigation in medicinal chemistry. Additionally, drug resistance is an important clinical problem in epilepsy and is associated with an increased risk of morbidity and mortality. This review intends to present a comprehensive overview on AED in particular along with discussion on some aspects of associated drug resistance and combination therapy.

An evaluation of a human stem cell line to identify risk of developmental neurotoxicity with antiepileptic drugs

“…Antiepileptic drugs (AEDs) reduce and inhibit seizures by acting on diverse targets in the central nervous system (CNS) including ion channels and neurotransmitter receptors (Das et al, 2012). The targets for AEDs also mediate a range of physiological processes in the developing brain and therefore their use can impact neurodevelopment (Costa et al, 2004).…”

Gene Expression Profiling of a Hypoxic Seizure Model of Epilepsy Suggests a Role for mTOR and Wnt Signaling in Epileptogenesis

“…Epilepsy is a widespread neurological disorder affecting as many as 3% of all individuals at some point in their lives, with about 30% of chronic epileptic patients refractory to drugs, and with many patients experiencing apparently progressive forms of the disease [1]. While historically attention has been focused on controlling the acute symptoms of the disease, more recently emphasis has also been placed on understanding the underlying process of epileptogenesis, that is, the molecular and structural changes that occur in brain tissue, sometimes over extended periods of time of months or years, and which eventually lead to the epileptic state [2].…”

Stereotactic Laser Ablation for Medically Intractable Epilepsy: The Next Generation of Minimally Invasive Epilepsy Surgery

“…With an estimated lifetime prevalence of 3% and an often debilitating natural history (1), it is imperative that effective treatments are provided to minimize seizure burden and their medical, psychological, social, and economic implications. While first-line treatment of epilepsy draws from a broad pharmacopeia of anticonvulsant drugs (2), complete seizure control evades as many as one-third of medically treated patients (3). The International League Against Epilepsy task force defines drug-resistant epilepsy as lack of seizure freedom despite two separate antiepileptic drug regimens (4).…”