PHARM - Seizures & Alzheimer's Flashcards
what is the overarching mechanism by which drugs treat seizures?
by decreasing hyperexcitability
what are the methods by which drug decrease hyperexcitability?
- ion channel modulation
- GABA enhancement
- Glutamate inhibition
- modulation of NT release
which cation channels can be modulated to decrease hyperexcitability?
how?
- Na+ channel: blockage
- Ca++ channel: blockage
- K+ channel: enhancement
sodium channel modulators
- includes which drugs?
- clinical use
- MOA
- AE/CI
- drugs: phenytoin, carbapezamine, lacosamide
- clinical use: seizures - focal, tonic-clonic
- MOA: bind to Na+ channels in the inactivated state, inhibiting high -frequency firing
- phenytoin, carbapezamine: fast-inactivation
- lacosamide: slow inactivation
- AE: drug-specific
- CI: absence seizures
phenytoin
- what kind of drug?
- clinical use
- MOA
- PK
- AE/CI
- sodium channel modulator
- clinical use: seizures - focal, tonic clonic
- MOA: enhance fast-inactivation of inactivated Na+ channels -> inhibitng high-frequency firing
- PK:
- narrow therepeutic range - small dose changes can lead to toxicity
- metabolized by CYP-2C9
- inhibits CYP-3A4
- AE:
- gingival hyperplasia
- facial feature coarsening
- mild cerebrovestibular effects - vertigo, ataxia, HA, nausea
- CI:
- absence seizures
- pregnancy & oral contraceptives - is teratogenic
what are the contraindications of phenytoin?
- absence seizure (like all Na modulators)
- in pregnancy - teratogenic
- with oral contraceptives - teratogenic
how id phenytoin metabolized?
by CYP-2C9
phenytoin inhibits…?
CYP-3A4
carbapezamine
- what kind of drug?
- clinical use
- MOA
- PK
- AE/CI
- sodium channel modulator
- clinical use: seizures - focal (simple & complex), tonic clonic
- MOA: enhance fast-inactivation of inactivated Na+ channels -> inhibitng high-frequency firing
- AEs:
- allergic reactions
- cerebrovestibular - nausea, ataxia
- CI:
- absence seizures
- SLE
what are the contraindications of carbapezamine?
- absence seizures
- SLE
explain the mechanism behind absence seizures
oscillations between the thalamus and cortex that are generated in the thalamus by T-type (transient) Ca++ current
what drugs are used to treat absence seizures?
- Ca++ channel modulators
- ethosuxamide
- valproate
Ca++ channel modulators
- include which drugs?
- clinical use?
- MOA?
- AE?
- drugs: valproate, ethosuximide
- clinical use: absence seizures
- MOA: block low threshold-Ca++ channels -> blocking T-type currents
- AE: drug specific
valproic acid
- what kind of drug?
- clinical use?
- MOA?
- AE/CI?
- is a calcium channel modulator
- clinical use: absence seizures
- MOA: block low threshold-Ca++ channels -> blocking T-type currents
- AE/CI: more severe than ethosuximide
- teratogenic / CI in pregnancy
- hepatoxic / CI in liver disease
- CNS depression / CI other depressants
ethosuxamide
- what kind of drug?
- clinical use?
- MOA?
- AE/CI?
- is a calcium channel modulator
- clinical use: absence seizures
- MOA: block low threshold-Ca++ channels -> blocking T-type currents
- AE: safer than valproic acid
- GI
- anorexia
- drowisniesss