[Use of a 3-oxypiridine antioxidant in combined therapy of patients with partial epilepsy]

Fifty-four patients with partial epilepsy (age 18-50 years, 26 males and 28 females, illness duration from 6 months to 18 years) have been examined. Idiopathic epilepsy was diagnosed in 7 patients, symptomatic in 36, cryptogenic in 11. The control group comprised 22 sex- and age-matched individuals. All the patients underwent computerized EEG and pharmaco-EEG testing, MRI or CT of the brain. Follow-up duration was from 6 months to 2.5 years. An antioxidant therapeutic course was conducted during 30 days on the background of the basic anticonvulsive therapy with carbamazepine (finlepsin-retard 200) received in individual dosages. Computer EEG analysis was made using "BRAINWIN" soft (Mitrofanov A.A., "Statokin", Moscow). To estimate the effect of the medications on bioelectric brain activity, methods of spectral and coherent EEG analysis, localization of equivalent dipole source of paroxysmal activity were applied. After a 30-day course of combined therapy with carbamazepine (finlepsin-retard 200) and antioxidant Mexicor, inhibition of generator activity of limbic and hypothalamic as well as stem and cerebellum structures and displacement of generator zones into cortical hemisphere structures were observed that may be explained by enhancement of determinant foci of the cortical structures in inhibition of secondary foci. It may be considered as a favorable prognostic factor, which reduces probability of the secondary generalization of partial epileptic seizures.