3.3 Antiepileptic drugs

Question 1

Epilepsy

Answer 1

chronic disorder characterized by recurrent seizures, seizures are episodes of brain dysfunctions resulting from abnormal discharge of cerebran neurons, having a single seizure does not necessarily mean a person has epilepsy

Question 2

Epilepsy epi

Answer 2

second most common neurological disorder, widespread among general population, >2.5 million individuals affected in the US, repeated epileptic discharges can cause neuronal death (excitotoxicity)

Question 3

the goal of pharmacotherapy is

Answer 3

resotration of normal patterns of electrical activity – current drug therapy is effectiv in 70 to 80% of pts

Question 4

what determines the sypmptoms of epilepsy

Answer 4

the side of electrical discharge

Question 5

convulsions if

Answer 5

motor cortex is involved

Question 6

visual auditory or olfactory hallucinations if

Answer 6

the parietal or occipital cortex plays a role

Question 7

generalized epilepsy

Answer 7

tonic clonic (grand mal), absence (petit mal), myoclonic, febrile, status epilepticus

Question 8

partial (focal) epilepsy

Answer 8

simple and complex

Question 9

in generalized epilepsy seizures spread

Answer 9

rapidly producing abnormal electrical discharges throughout both hemispheres of the brain, accounts for 40% of all epilepsy, may be convulsive or non-convulsive with immediate loss of consciousness

Question 10

generalized tonic clonic seizures (grand mal)

Answer 10

most common, result in loss of consciousness, followed by tonic (continuous contraction) and then clonic (rapid contraction and relaxation)

Question 11

absence seizures (petit mal)

Answer 11

brief, abrupt and self-limiting loss of consciousness, patient stares and exhibits rapid eye-blinking, which lasts for 3-5 seconds, onset in pts at 3-5 yrs of age until puberty

Question 12

myoclonic seizures

Answer 12

lightening-like jerks of one or more extremities occuring singly or in bursts up to a hundred, accompanined by alteration of consciousness, rare, occur at any age, and are often a result of permanent neurologic damage acqured as a result of hypoxia, uremia, encephalities or drug poisoning

Question 13

febrile seizures

Answer 13

GTC convulsions of short duration in young children (3 months to 5 yrs) accompanied with high fever

Question 14

status epilepticus

Answer 14

recurrent attacks of seizures, medical emergency

Question 15

partial (or focal)

Answer 15

symptoms depend on the site of neuronal discharge and on the extent to which the electrical activity spreads to other neurons in the body, may progress becoming generalzied tonic-clonic seizures (Jacksonian March), 60% of all the epilepsy