Antiepileptic drugs and mechanisms of epileptogenesis. A review.
This paper analyzes the effect of conventional (phenobarbital, phenytoin, carbamazepine, ethosuximide, valproate) and some novel (vigabatrin, lamotrigine, felbamate) AEDs on some basic mechanisms involved in focal and/or generalized epileptogenesis (Na+ voltage-dependent channels and sustained repetitive firing, L-, N-, and T-type Ca2+ currents, GABA-mediated inhibition, Glu/Asp-mediated excitation, after-hyperpolarization). According to this analysis, AEDs can be divided into two main categories, those with only one specific action and those with multiple actions. A speculative correlation is proposed between AED effects on the mechanism of epileptogenesis and their known clinical effect on seizures.
Mutani
R
R
Cattedra di Neurologia, Università di Torino, Facoltà di Medicina e Chirurgia di Novara.
Cantello
R
R
Gianelli
M
M
Civardi
C
C
D000818:Animals; D000927:Anticonvulsants / Q000494:pharmacology* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D002415:Cats; D002540:Cerebral Cortex / Q000187:drug effects / Q000503:physiopathology; D004827:Epilepsy / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000503:physiopathology; D010634:Phenobarbital / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use; D010672:Phenytoin / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use; D018079:Receptors, GABA / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D015222:Sodium Channels / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology
D000927:Anticonvulsants; D018079:Receptors, GABA; D015222:Sodium Channels; D010672:Phenytoin; D010634:Phenobarbital