CHAPTER 14: ANTI-EPILEPTIC

Question 1

anticonvulsants

Answer 1

substances or procedures that prevent or reduce the severity of epileptic or other convulsive seizures

Question 2

anti-epileptic drugs

Answer 2

prescription drugs that prevent or reduce the severity of epilepsy and different types of epileptic seizures, not just convulsive seizures

Question 3

auto-induction

Answer 3

a metabolic process in which a drug stimulates the production of enzymes that enhance its own metabolism over time, which leads to a reduction in therapeutic drug concentrations

Question 4

convulsion

Answer 4

a type of seizure involving excessive stimulation of neurons in the brain and characterized by the spasmodic contraction of voluntary muscles

Question 5

electroencephalogram (EEG)

Answer 5

a recording of the electrical activity that arises from spontaneous currents in nerve cells in the brain, derived from electrodes placed on the outer skull

Question 6

epilepsy

Answer 6

a general term for any of a group of neurologic disorders characterized by recurrent episodes of convulsive seizures, sensory disturbances, abnormal behavior, loss of consciousness or any combination of these

Question 7

generalized onset seizures

Answer 7

seizures originating simultaneously in both cereal hemispheres

Question 8

gingival hyperplasia

Answer 8

overgrowth of gum tissue and often a side effect of phenytoin

Question 9

partial onset seizures

Answer 9

seizures originating in a more localized region of the brain (also called focal seizures)

Question 10

primary epilepsy

Answer 10

epilepsy in which there is no identifiable cause. Also known as idiopathic

Question 11

seizures

Answer 11

excessive stimulation of neurons in the brain leading to a sudden burst of abnormal neuron activity that results in temporary changes in brain function, primarily affecting sensory and motor activity

Question 12

status epilepticus

Answer 12

a seizure disorder characterized by generalized tonic-clonic convulsions that occur repeatedly; considered a medical emergency

Question 13

tonic-clonic seizures

Answer 13

seizures involving initial muscular contraction throughout the body (tonic phase), progressing to alternating contraction and relaxation (clonic phase)