Exam 3 -Seizures, Sedatives, Hypnotics Flashcards
Describe simple focal seizures?
- Originates at a foci in the brain and has minimal spread
- Does not affect conciousness or awareness
- EEG may be normal if foci is not captured
Describe complex focal seizures?
- Most arise from temporal lobes
- May become unresponsive/unconcious
- Involves automatisms
Focal seizures can spread and become generalized tonic-clonic seizures
Describe generalized seizures?
- Begin over the entire surface of the brain
- May involve in aura
- Can be tonic or atonic
- Possible incontinence
- Have post-ictal state
Describe an abscence seizure?
- Staring into space
- No remembrance of seizure
- May have automatisms
Describe tonic and atonic seizures?
- Tonic: muscles contract and stiffen, often causes falls
- Atonic: Sudden loss of muscle tone, falling without warning
Describle infantile spasms (West’s syndrome)?
- Muscle spasms that affects a child’s head, torso, and limbs.
- Usually begins before age of 6 months.
Describe clonic and myoclonic seizures?
Myoclonic: The body jerks quickly like it is being shocked
Clonic: Rhythmic jerking motions
Describe the MOA and uses for phenytoin (Dilantin)?
- Oldest non-sedative antiseizure drug
- Alters Na+, K+, Ca++, glutamate, and GABA
- Used for Generalized tonic-clonic and focal seizures
Describe the MOA and uses for carbamazepine (Tegretol)?
- Is a TCA
- Similiar to phenytoin, blocks Na+ channels
- Drug of choice for focal seizures, also used in generalized tonic-clonic
- Used to treat trigeminal neuralgia and bipolar disorder
Describe the MOA and uses of lacosamide (Vimpat)?
- Blocks Na+ channels
- Used for focal seizures
Describe the MOA and uses of phenobarbital?
- Oldest and one of the safest sedating antiepileptics
- Enhances GABA, decresaes glutamate
- Used in focal and generalized tonic clonic
- Drug of choice in infants
- Can worsen absence, atonic, and infantile spasms seizures
Describe the MOA and uses for GABA analogs?
Gabapentin, pregabalin, vigabatrin
* Increases GABA
* Used as an adjunct
* Treats neuralgia and infantile spasms
Describe the MOA and uses for ethosuximide?
- Blocks Ca++ channels
- Drug of choice for abscence seizures
Describe the MOA and uses for valproic acid (depakene)?
- MOA: All, effects GABA, Na+ currents, and K+ conductance
- Broad spectrum antiepileptic
- Also used in bipolar and migraine prophylaxis
Describe the MOA and use for benzodiazepines?
- Increases GABA
- Used in status epilepticus and abscence seizures
Define tonic and clonic?
- Tonic: increase in muscle tone (stiffness)
- Clonic: rapid muscle movement (jerking)
List the drugs of choice for focal seizures, generalized tonic-clonic seizures, absence, myoclonic seizures, and status epilepticus
- Abscence – ethosuximide
- Focal – carbamazepine (tegretol)
- Generalized tonic-clonic – Phenytoin (dilantin)
- Myoclonic – Valproic acid or clonazepam (klonopin)
- Status epilepticus – IV benzodiazepam
Describe the pharmacokinetics and adverse effects of phenytoin?
- Highly bound to albumin
- Accumulates in the ER of brain, muscle, liver, and fat
- Toxicity: Increases with dose -Gingival hyperplasia, hirsuitism, nystagmus
Describe the pharmacokinetics and adverse effects of carbamazapine?
- Competes for binding sites on albumin, does not displace other drugs.
- Induces heptaic enzymes, increasing its own metabolism as well as other antiepileptics.
Describe the pharmacokinetics and adverse effects of lacosamide?
- Has equal efficacy at different doses
- Toxicity: dizziness, HA, nausea, minimal drug interactions