title: Add-on lamotrigine treatment and plasma glutamate levels in epilepsy: relation to treatment response.
abstract: We investigated the effects of add-on lamotrigine treatment on plasma glutamate (Glu) levels, in 29 epileptic patients. Plasma Glu levels were determined by high-performance liquid chromatography at baseline and at 1 and 3 months post-treatment. In patients with a seizure reduction of > or = 66% a decrease of Glu at month 1 was noted, followed by return to baseline levels at month 3. In the remaining patients a gradual increase of Glu was noted throughout the 3 months of the study. The above findings indicate that an excellent clinical response to add-on lamotrigine may be characterized by a statistically significant, yet transient decrease of plasma Glu levels, while increasing Glu levels may accompany a response that is moderate at best. The combination of lamotrigine with valproate was more frequent in patients with excellent clinical response and tended to result in glutamate decrease.
authors.affiliation: Athens National University, School of Medicine, Department of Neurology, Eginition Hospital, 74 Vas. Sophias Ave, Athens, Greece.
authors.forename: George P
authors.initials: GP
authors.lastname: Paraskevas
authors.forename: Nikolaos I
authors.initials: NI
authors.lastname: Triantafyllou
authors.forename: Elisabeth
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Kapaki
authors.forename: Georgia
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Limpitaki
authors.forename: Olga
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Petropoulou
authors.forename: Demetrios
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Vassilopoulos
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000927:Anticonvulsants / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D004359:Drug Therapy, Combination; D004827:Epilepsy / Q000097:blood / Q000188:drug therapy*; D005260:Female; D018698:Glutamic Acid / Q000097:blood*; D006801:Humans; D000077213:Lamotrigine; D008297:Male; D013997:Time Factors; D014227:Triazines / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D014635:Valproic Acid / Q000627:therapeutic use
chemical_list: D000927:Anticonvulsants; D014227:Triazines; D018698:Glutamic Acid; D014635:Valproic Acid; D000077213:Lamotrigine