Seizure Disorders Flashcards
What is a seizure?
- Paroxysmal disorder of the CNS that is characterized by abnormal cerebral neuronal discharges with or without loss of consiousness
What are convulsions?
- Specifc seizure type where the attack is manifested by involuntary muscle contractions
What is Epilepsy?
- Repeated seizures doe to damage, irritation, and/or chemical imbalance in the brain which leads to a sudden, excessive, synchronous electrical discharge
What are the type of Generalized seizures?
- Myoclonic
- Tonic
- Clonic
- Atonic
- Tonic Clonic
What is the one thing that really classifies a seizure?
- It has to be DISORDERED, SYNCHRONOUS, RHYTHMIC firing of the brain
What are the different types of seizures?
- Focal [Simple and complex] and Generalized
What is a focal seizure?
- Focal: Originates in one part of the brain [temporal lobe] then eventually moves to the other parts [Focal to Generalized]
- Due to lesion
- Either have awareness [simple] or not [complex]
What is a generalized seizure?
- Generalized: Occurs in both sides of the brain
- “Primary”
- Genetic?
What are the genetic tests that are used for epilepsy?
- GABRA1, GABRB2, GABRB3, GABRG2
- SCN1A, SCN1B, SCN2A, SCN8A
What is the pathways for the propagation of focal and generalized seizures?
- Focal: Starts at one spot then moves to others
- Focal to Generalized
- Primary Generalized Seizures: Connections between the thalamus and the cortex
What is the purpose for the EEG within seizures?
- Electrodes are place on the top of the head being able to show the activity of the surface of the brain
What is a simple focal seizure?
- An AWARE type [know they had one]
- NO loss of consciousness
- May experience aura
What is a complex focal seizure?
- An IMPAIRED AWARENESS type
- LOSS of consciousness
- MOST common
- Aura is COMMON
- Postictal state due to impaired awareness
What is the Postictal State in seizures?
- The patient wont be able to remember what happened to them after the seizure.
- SE: Confusion, disorientation, anterograde amnesia
What is a Absence Generalized Seizure?
- Basically “Blanking Out” and coming back immediately
- NO convulsions, aura, or postictal period
What is a Generalized Tonic-Clonic
- Grand Mal
- Most dramatic of all seizures
- First Phase: Tonic - begins suddenly with diaphragm contractions [No aura]; tremor that corresponds to relaxation
- Second Phase: Clonic - Begins as relaxation becomes more prolonged; violent jerking
What is Status Epilepticus?
- A repetitive seizure activity in which the patient does not regain consciousness or its a single seizure lasting >30 minutes
- GOAL is the bring seizure under control within 60 minutes
What are a couple of important concepts to note about Epilepsies?
- One seizure =/= Epilepsy [>3 seizures]
- Drugs can be withdrawn when patient has been seizure free for 2-5 years [stopping suddenly will make the seizure worse]
What is a Paroxysmal Depolarizing Shift [PDS]?
- Large Depolarizations that trigger a burst of action potentials
- Depolarization: activation of AMPA and NMDA by glutamate and voltage gated ion Ca channels; increasing cations
What happens after the Depolarization within PDS?
- Hyperpolarization: Activation of GABA receptors by the influx of Cl- ions along with voltage and calcium-dependent K channels; decreasing K+
What are somethings that can aggravate or increase the risk of seizures?
- Alcohol, Theophylline, CNS stimulants, Bupropion, Oral Contraceptives, Withdrawl from depressants
What is the MOA for the anticonvulsant drugs?
- To stabilize and reduce neuronal excitability; reduce the E/I imbalence
- Decrease in Na Influx; Reduction in Ca influx; Enhance GABA inhibition; antagonism of excitatory transmitters
What are the targets that affect the excitatory [glutamatergic] synapse?
- Presynaptic Targets: Na & Ca Channels
- Postsynaptic Targets: NMDA & AMPA Receptors
What are the targets that affect the inhibitory [GABAergic] synapse?
- Presynaptic Targets: GABA Transporter [GAT-1] & GABA Transaminase [GABA-T]
- Postsynaptic Targets: GABAa & GABAb Receptors
What is the function of Phenytoin in seizures?
- MOA: blocks the Na gated voltage, to stop the rapid influx of Na resulting in the depolarization [not isoform: blocks Na channels in other parts of the body]
What are the side effects and/or drug interactions of Phenytoin?
- SE: Arrhythmia [not isoform], visual, ataxia, GI Symptoms, skin rash
- DI: Displaced from plamsa proteins & induces CYP450
What is the function of Carbamazepine in seizures?
- MOA: blocks the Na voltage gated channels; stopping the rapid influx of Na that resulting in the depolarization
What are some of the side effect and/or drug interactions for Cabamazepine?
- SE: blurred vision, GI issues, SJS, DRESS
- DI: Induces CYP450
What is the function of Lacosamide in seizures?
- MOA: enhance the blockage of the Na voltage gated channels
What are some of the side effects of Lacosamide?
- SE: Skin Rashes, PR interval prolongation, vision problems
What is the function of the Barbiturates [Phenobarbital and Primidone] in seizures?
- MOA: will bind to the GABAa receptor, allowing more Cl- into he neuron causing hyper-polarization in decreased excitability of the neuron