Seizures Flashcards
Exam 3
Causes of seizures (6)
- Infection
- Neoplasm
- Head injury
- Heredity
- Toxic effects
- Metabolic disorder
Principle MOA of anti-seizure meds involve ________ and _______
voltage-operated ion channels and excitatory synaptic function
What are the 3 main MOA of AEDs?
- Modification of ion conductance - Na+, K+, Ca++
- Enhancing inhibition - GABA
- Inhibiting excitation - Glutamate
What are the 3 types of focal onset seizures?
- Focal aware - simple partial
- Focal impaired awareness - complex partial
- Focal to bilateral tonic-clonic - partial seizure secondarily generalized
What are the 5 types of generalized onset seizures?
- Generalized tonic-clonic (grand mal)
- Generalized absence (petite mal)
- Myoclonic
- Atonic/clonic (drop attack)
- Infantile spasms (West’s syndrome)
What are automatisms seen in complex focal seizures?
- Lip smacking
- Swallowing
- Fumbling
- Scratching
- Walking about
Focal seizures secondarily generalized look like _______ seizures
tonic clonic
Differentiate between focal and generalized seizures
Focal - begin in specific area of brain
Generalized - begin over entire surface of brain
Generalized tonic-clonic automatisms
- starts with aura
- Person falls to ground
- Entire body stiffens
- Muscles jerk or spasm
- Tongue or cheek may be bitten
- Urinary incontinence
Seizures where muscles suddenly contract and stiffen
tonic
Seizures where there is a sudden loss of muscle tone
atonic
Seizures that make the body jerk like it is being shocked
Clonic and myoclonic seizure
What age do infantile spasms begin?
Usually begins before age of 6 months
Phenytoin MOA
all - mainly Na+, gaba, and glutamate receptors
What is the more soluble prodrug of phenytoin that can be administered IV?
Fosphenytoin
What type of seizures is phenytoin used to treat?
Partial and tonic-clonic seizures
Which drugs compete with phenytoin for albumin binding sites?
Carbamazepine, sulfonamides, valporic acid
Which drug can displace phenytoin from albumin binding sites?
valporic acid
Differentiate between therapeutic, free, toxic, and lethal levels of phenytoin
- Therapeutic: 10-20 mcg/ml
- Free phenytoin: 1-2.5 mcg/ml
- Toxic: 30-50 mcg/ml
- Lethal: >100 mcg/ml
What is the T1/2 of phenytoin?
12-36 hours
What are the toxic effects of phenytoin?
- Nystagmus
- Loss of extraocular pursuit of movement
- Diplopia
- Ataxia
- Sedation
What are the toxic effects of phenytoin with chronic use?
- Gingival hyperplasia
- Hirsuitism
- Coarsening of facial features
Carbamazepine (Tegretol) MOA
Blocks Na+ channels
What kind of antidepressant is carbamazepine?
TCA
What is the clinical use for carbamazepine?
- Drug of choice for focal seizure
- Can be used with phenytoin
- Effective in trigeminal neuralgia
- Also useful for bipolar disorder