Search research articles

ABOUT JoVE

Overview Leadership Blog JoVE Help Center

AUTHORS

Publishing Process Editorial Board Scope & Policies Peer Review FAQ Submit

LIBRARIANS

Testimonials Subscriptions Access Resources Library Advisory Board FAQ

RESEARCH

JoVE Journal Methods Collections JoVE Encyclopedia of Experiments Archive

EDUCATION

JoVE Core JoVE Business JoVE Science Education JoVE Lab Manual Faculty Resource Center Faculty Site

Terms & Conditions of Use

Related Concept Videos

Antiepileptic Drugs: GABAergic Pathway Potentiators

Antiepileptic Drugs: GABAergic Pathway Potentiators

γ-aminobutyric acid or GABA, plays a pivotal role as an inhibitory neurotransmitter in the brain. GABA pathway potentiators, also known as GABAergic drugs, are a class of pharmaceutical agents designed to enhance the functioning of the GABAergic system. These medications primarily treat epilepsy, a neurological disorder characterized by recurrent seizures.
The key GABA pathway potentiators used in epilepsy management are as follows.
Benzodiazepines are a well-known class of drugs used for their...

Antiepileptic Drugs: Glutamate Antagonists

Antiepileptic Drugs: Glutamate Antagonists

Glutamate is a fundamental neurotransmitter in the central nervous system, playing a vital role in neuronal communication and various cognitive processes. Glutamate stands as the principal excitatory neurotransmitter in the brain. Its presence is crucial for the communication between neurons, underpinning essential processes such as synaptic transmission, neuronal excitability, and plasticity. These functions are vital for higher-order cognitive processes, including learning and memory. The...

Antiepileptic Drugs: Calcium Channel Blockers

Antiepileptic Drugs: Calcium Channel Blockers

Calcium channel blockers, a class of antiepileptic drugs, regulate the flow of calcium ions within neurons.
Calcium channel blockers exert their antiepileptic effects by targeting T-type calcium channels, which are integral to transmitting nerve signals in the central nervous system. These channels allow the passage of calcium ions, which are vital for neuronal communication. By inhibiting T-type calcium channels, calcium channel blockers effectively reduce the release of neurotransmitters and...

Antiepileptic Drugs: Sodium Channel Blockers

Antiepileptic Drugs: Sodium Channel Blockers

Antiepileptic drugs are specialized medications that prevent seizures in individuals diagnosed with epilepsy. These drugs primarily function by blocking the movement of sodium ions through channels in the neuronal membrane, inhibiting the repetitive firing of action potentials often associated with seizures.
Sodium channel blockers modulate ion channels, particularly voltage-gated sodium channels. They block only sodium ion movement.
Among the most commonly prescribed antiepileptic drugs are...

Antiepileptic Drugs: Modulators of Neurotransmitter Release Mediated by SV2A Protein

Antiepileptic Drugs: Modulators of Neurotransmitter Release Mediated by SV2A Protein

Antiepileptic drugs, such as levetiracetam (Keppra) and brivaracetam (Briviact), have emerged as crucial tools in managing epilepsy. These medications exert their therapeutic effects by targeting the synaptic vesicle protein SV2A, a transmembrane glycoprotein primarily found in the brain.
SV2A is a transmembrane glycoprotein located predominantly in the brain, modulating the release of neurotransmitters for neuronal communication. Both levetiracetam and brivaracetam exhibit a high affinity for...

Antiepileptic Drugs: Potassium Channel Activators

Antiepileptic Drugs: Potassium Channel Activators

Ezocgabine or retigabine, an antiepileptic drug of remarkable efficacy, has revolutionized the management of seizures. It is a potassium channel activator, explicitly targeting the family of Q subtype potassium channels. It enhances the transmembrane potassium currents, regulating neuronal excitability. This action stabilizes the resting membrane potential, a pivotal factor in mitigating the hyperexcitability that characterizes epilepsy.
Ezogabine has gained approval as an adjunctive treatment...

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by

Same author

Improving Epilepsy Care in Ontario, Canada: The Impact of a Provincial Strategy for Epilepsy Care.

The Canadian journal of neurological sciences. Le journal canadien des sciences neurologiques·2025

Same author

Harmonizing data on correlates of sleep in children within and across neurodevelopmental disorders: lessons learned from an Ontario Brain Institute cross-program collaboration.

Frontiers in neuroinformatics·2024

Same author

FAIR in action: Brain-CODE - A neuroscience data sharing platform to accelerate brain research.

Frontiers in neuroinformatics·2023

Same author

Validating a novel deterministic privacy-preserving record linkage between administrative & clinical data: applications in stroke research.

International journal of population data science·2023

Same author

Magnetic solid-phase extraction method with modified magnetic ferroferric oxide nanoparticles in a deep eutectic solvent and high-performance liquid chromatography used for the analysis of pharmacologically active ingredients of Epimedium folium.

Journal of chromatography. A·2022

Same author

Antiseizure effects of the cannabinoids in the amygdala-kindling model.

Epilepsia·2021

Search research articles

Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jun 27, 2026

Pentylenetetrazole-Induced Kindling Mouse Model

Pentylenetetrazole-Induced Kindling Mouse Model

Published on: June 12, 2018

Acetone as an anticonvulsant.

Sergei Likhodii¹, Kirk Nylen, W McIntyre Burnham

¹Department of Pharmacology, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.

|December 17, 2008

Summary

Acetone, a ketone produced by the ketogenic diet (KD), demonstrates significant anticonvulsant effects in animal models. Unlike other ketones, acetone effectively treats various seizure types with a therapeutic index comparable to standard anticonvulsants.

Area of Science:

Neuroscience
Biochemistry
Pharmacology

Background:

The ketogenic diet (KD) is a high-fat diet used for drug-resistant epilepsy.
The KD increases blood and brain levels of ketones, including beta-hydroxybutyrate, acetoacetate, and acetone.
The anticonvulsant properties of these ketones have been under investigation.

Purpose of the Study:

To evaluate the anticonvulsant properties of acetone and other ketones.
To characterize acetone's efficacy in standard animal seizure models.
To explore the potential mechanism of acetone's anticonvulsant action.

Main Methods:

Testing acetone, beta-hydroxybutyrate, and acetoacetate in standard animal seizure models.
Comparing acetone's therapeutic index to valproate, a broad-spectrum anticonvulsant.

More Related Videos

Behavioral Characterization of Pentylenetetrazole-induced Seizures: Moving Beyond the Racine Scale

Behavioral Characterization of Pentylenetetrazole-induced Seizures: Moving Beyond the Racine Scale

Published on: July 8, 2025

Electrophoretic Delivery of γ-aminobutyric Acid (GABA) into Epileptic Focus Prevents Seizures in Mice

Electrophoretic Delivery of γ-aminobutyric Acid (GABA) into Epileptic Focus Prevents Seizures in Mice

Published on: May 16, 2019

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: Jun 27, 2026

Pentylenetetrazole-Induced Kindling Mouse Model

Pentylenetetrazole-Induced Kindling Mouse Model

Published on: June 12, 2018

Behavioral Characterization of Pentylenetetrazole-induced Seizures: Moving Beyond the Racine Scale

Behavioral Characterization of Pentylenetetrazole-induced Seizures: Moving Beyond the Racine Scale

Published on: July 8, 2025

Electrophoretic Delivery of γ-aminobutyric Acid (GABA) into Epileptic Focus Prevents Seizures in Mice

Electrophoretic Delivery of γ-aminobutyric Acid (GABA) into Epileptic Focus Prevents Seizures in Mice

Published on: May 16, 2019

Screening acetone-like molecules with varying side-chain lengths.

Main Results:

Beta-hydroxybutyrate and acetoacetate showed no anticonvulsant effects.
Acetone demonstrated significant anticonvulsant activity across multiple seizure types (tonic-clonic, absence, complex partial, Lennox-Gastaut syndrome).
Acetone's therapeutic index was comparable or superior to valproate.
Acetone analogs were potent up to a nine-carbon side chain length, suggesting a potential receptor.

Conclusions:

Acetone possesses significant anticonvulsant properties, particularly relevant in the context of the ketogenic diet.
Acetone is effective against a broad spectrum of seizures in animal models.
The structure-activity relationship of acetone analogs suggests a specific molecular target for its anticonvulsant effects.