Epilepsy

Question 1

What are causes of epilepsy?

Answer 1

Traumatic brain injury
CNS infection
Brain tumours
Stroke

Question 2

What are other factors associated to epilepsy?

Answer 2

Alzheimer’s
Prenatal injuries when existing neurological handicap
Family history

Question 3

What lobes are affected and what are the symptoms?

Answer 3

Temporal lobe- memory loss, affected speech production, smacking lips, picking at clothes
Focal seizures mostly arise from temporal lobe

Question 4

What are clinical features of epilepsy?

Answer 4

Abnormal taste, smell, touch
Deja Vu/ Jamais Vu
Abdominal pain

Question 5

What is a focal seizure?

Answer 5

Characterised by local brain activity which leads to symptoms that typically seize 1 side of body or 1 specific body part

Question 6

What 6 drugs can be used to treat epilepsy?

Answer 6

1. diazepam
2. lamotrigine
3. pregabaline
4. levetiracetam
5. tiagabine
6. vigabritin

Question 7

How does diazepam work?

Answer 7

Target: GABAa receptor
Action: increases GABA activation of receptor. Causes Cl- influx, makes it harder to produce AP

Question 8

How does lamotrigine work?

Answer 8

Target: VGSC
Action: blocks channel in glutaminergic neurones- less NT release

Question 9

How does pregabaline work?

Answer 9

Target: VGCaC
Action: blocks channel in glutaminergic neurones- less NT release

Question 10

How does levetiracetam work?

Answer 10

Target: synaptic vesicle protein SV2A
Action: interferes with vesicle fusion - less exocytosis of glutamate

Question 11

How does tiagabine work?

Answer 11

Target: GABA reuptake transporter
Action: prevents GABA from leaving synapse- binds to GABA receptor for longer so increased Cl- influx

Question 12

How does vigabritin work?

Answer 12

Target: GABA transaminase enzyme
Action: blocks enzyme. GABA not broken down well in presynaptic terminal so GABA build up. Reuptake slows down. GABA remains in synapse longer