Anticonvulsants Flashcards
seizure
clinical manifestation of excessive hypersynchronous neuronal activity
Two major excitatory NTs
aspartate and glutamate
Two major inhibitory NTs
GABA and glycine
epilepsy
enduring disorder characterized by recurrent seizures - a SYMPTOM
cluster
2+ seizures in 24 hours
status epilepticus
5+ minute seizure OR 2 or more seizures without return to consciousness
refractory epilepsy
pharamcoresistant
generalized
bilateral involvement, loss of consciousness
tonic
increased muscle tone
clonic
shaking/paddling
focal
unilateral/regional signs, electric impulses from opposite hemisphere
3 Components of a Seizure
- Preictal
- Ictal
- Postictal
Etiology Based Seizure Classification
- Idiopathic
- Structural
What % of epilepsy patients are pharmacoresistant?
~25%
4 Reasons Seizure Treatment May Be Required
- Identifiable Structural Lesion or prior hx of brain dz/injury
- Acute repetitive seizures or status epilepticus
- Two or more isolated events within a six month period
- Prolonged, severe, or unusual post-ictal events
Objective of Anticonvulsant Therapy?
decrease the frequency, duration, and intensity of seizure (by about 50% or more)
Are anti-convulsants lipid soluble?
yes, they need to cross the BBB
Anticonvulsant MOAs
increase inhibition [of GABA or glycine] or decrease excitation [of aspartate and glutamate]