antiepileptics lecture Flashcards
Seizure
Seizure – a discrete clinical event that results in the abnormal discharge of a set of neurons in the brain
– “A transient occurrence of signs and/or symptoms due to abnormal excessive or synchronous neuronal activity in the brain.”
one seizure=epilepsy?
A single seizure does NOT mean someone has epilepsy!
Epilepsy
Epilepsy – at least 2 unprovoked seizures
– Network disease and not a localized brain abnormality (no specific cortex)
Convulsive Status Epilepticus
Convulsive Status Epilepticus – failure of the mechanisms responsible for seizure termination or from the initiation of mechanisms which lead to abnormally prolonged seizures.
– length of seizure beyond 5 minutes
– second seizure without recovery from the first
– repeated seizures lasting 30 minutes or longer
likley contributor to Convulsive Status Epilepticus
defect in GABA
how can we use signs present in a seizure to localize it in the cortex?
by using the different fucntions of the cortex (occipital vas motor, etc.)
motor cortex signs
twitching/jerking in arms, face, shoulder, legs
frontal lobe invovlement signs
planning, actions,
reward, abstract
loss of these
auditory cortex involvment
ringing or buzzing sounds
temporal lobe involvment
fear, depression, joy, anger
wernickes area involvment
understanding or
forming speech
occipital lobe invovlment
hallucinations
somatosensory or association cortex involvment
numbness or tingling
epilepsy epidemiolgy
* Impacts and estimated?
– new cases diagnosed each year
– greater mortality (sudden unexplained death)
* Most often presents in?
– % of US population experience seizure in lifetime
* distribution?
* Risk increased with?
* costs
- Impacts and estimated 2 to 3 million Americans (1%)
– 150,000 to 200,000 new cases diagnosed each year
– 2 to 3 times greater mortality (sudden unexplained death) - Most often presents in infancy and childhood
– 0.5 % - 1% children have epilepsy
– 10% of US population experience seizure in lifetime - Bimodal distribution of occurrence
– Newborn/young children and > 65 years of age - Risk increased with traumatic brain injuries
- > $12.5 billion is estimated in indirect and direct costs
International League Against
Epilepsy (ILAE) Epilepsy Etiologies
- Genetic
- Structural
- Infectious
- Metabolic
- Immune
- Unknown
genetic seizures causes
Genetic – usually present at a young age
– Dravet Syndrome – mutations in sodium channel, type I alpha subunit
– Childhood Absence Epilepsy – mutations in T-Type Ca2+ channels and GABA receptor subunits
structural seizure causes
Structural – abnormalities found with neuronal imaging, e.g.
cortical dysplasia, posttraumatic epilepsy
Infectious seizure causes
Infectious – neurocysticercosis (parasite), meningitis, encephalitis
Metabolic seizure causes
Metabolic – abnormal glycogen metabolism (Lafora Disease)
immune seizure causes
anti-NMDA receptor encephalitis (autoimmune)