Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jun 21, 2026

Behavioral Characterization of Pentylenetetrazole-induced Seizures: Moving Beyond the Racine Scale
Published on: July 8, 2025
Idiopathic hemifacial spasm responsive to zonisamide: a case report
Antonio Siniscalchi1, Luca Gallelli, Caterina Palleria
1Department of Neuroscience, Neurology Division, Annunziata Hospital, Cosenza, Italy.
Aim:
We describe a patient with idiopathic hemifacial spasm (HFS) that was responsive to zonisamide treatment.
Methods And Results:
A 65-year-old woman presented with a 4-year history of left-sided HFS developing gradually, starting from the upper facial muscles. After several analyses, the diagnosis of idiopathic HFS was made, and the clonazepam treatment (0.5 mg every 8 hours) was started, without a complete remission of symptoms. Therefore, zonisamide (150 mg twice a day for a 6-week period) was added, with a complete resolution. The rechallenge with zonisamide after its dechallenge confirmed its effectiveness. During follow-up, the patient remained symptom-free, with no adverse drug reactions.
Conclusions:
We suggest that zonisamide could represent a useful therapeutic option in the treatment of idiopathic HFS.
Related Concept Videos
Vascular Spasm
Spasmolytic Agents: Chemical Classification
A major class of centrally acting spasmolytics is the α2-agonist, such as tizanidine. These drugs bind to α2-adrenoceptors, inhibiting the release of the excitatory neurotransmitter glutamate. They also promote...
Antiepileptic Drugs: Potassium Channel Activators
Ezogabine has gained approval as an adjunctive treatment...
Seizures: Classification
Seizures are typically classified into two main categories: focal and generalized seizures.
Focal Seizures
Focal seizures originate from specific regions of the brain. These seizures are further sub-classified into two types:
Antiepileptic Drugs: GABAergic Pathway Potentiators
The key GABA pathway potentiators used in epilepsy management are as follows.
Benzodiazepines are a well-known class of drugs used for their...
Centrally Acting Muscle Relaxants: Therapeutic Uses
Centrally acting drugs are classified into spasmolytic and antispasmodic drugs. Spasmolytic drugs such as baclofen, diazepam, and tizanidine inhibit spinal motor neurons and decrease muscle tone. Spasmolytic drugs are administered for severe and chronic spasms due to multiple sclerosis, cerebral palsy, stroke, and spinal cord and muscle injuries. However,...

