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Related Concept Videos

Epilepsy and Seizures: Overview01:24

Epilepsy and Seizures: Overview

Epilepsy is a chronic neurological disease marked by recurrent, unpredictable seizures. These seizures are caused by abnormal electrical discharges in the brain, leading to behavior, sensation, or consciousness alterations. They can also cause transient impairment of awareness, interfering with daily activities.
Various factors can trigger epilepsy, including genetic factors, brain damage, metabolic causes, and unknown etiology. Diagnosis of epilepsy involves electroencephalography (EEG), which...
Antiepileptic Drugs: GABAergic Pathway Potentiators01:18

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 Antagonists01:14

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: Potassium Channel Activators01:20

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...
Antiepileptic Drugs: Sodium Channel Blockers01:08

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...
Combination Therapies and Personalized Medicine02:50

Combination Therapies and Personalized Medicine

Combining two or more treatment methods increases the life span of cancer patients while reducing damage to vital organs or tissue from the overuse of a single treatment. Combination therapy also targets different cancer-inducing pathways, thus reducing the chances of developing resistance to treatment.
The combination of the drug acetazolamide and sulforaphane is a good example of combination therapy to treat cancer. The cells in the interior of a large tumor often die due to the hypoxic and...

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Related Articles

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

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[Can treatment with anesthetic anticonvulsive drugs worsen outcome in status epilepticus?]

Medizinische Klinik, Intensivmedizin und Notfallmedizin·2017
Same author

[Efficacy of Epileptological Consultation After Initially Unsuccessful Antiepileptic Medication].

Fortschritte der Neurologie-Psychiatrie·2016
Same author

The influence of folate serum levels on depressive mood and mental processing in patients with epilepsy treated with enzyme-inducing anti-epileptic drugs.

Acta neuropsychiatrica·2016
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[Perampanel in the treatment of a patient with glioblastoma multiforme without IDH1 mutation and without MGMT promotor methylation].

Fortschritte der Neurologie-Psychiatrie·2015
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[Anticonvulsant therapy for brain tumour-related epilepsy].

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[Experience with levetiracetam in the treatment of status epilepticus].

Fortschritte der Neurologie-Psychiatrie·2012

Related Experiment Video

Updated: May 23, 2026

Electrophoretic Delivery of γ-aminobutyric Acid (GABA) into Epileptic Focus Prevents Seizures in Mice
07:01

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

Published on: May 16, 2019

[Combination therapy for epilepsy].

W Fröscher1, J Rösche

  • 1Epilepsiezentrum Bodensee, Zentrum für Psychiatrie Südwürttemberg, Ravensburg-Weissenau. w.froescher@arcor.de

Fortschritte Der Neurologie-Psychiatrie
|March 28, 2012
PubMed
Summary

Monotherapy is standard for epilepsy, but combination therapy is often needed. Rational polypharmacy, combining drugs with different mechanisms, may offer better tolerability and efficacy for seizure control.

Area of Science:

  • Neurology
  • Pharmacology

Context:

  • Epilepsy treatment often requires multiple antiepileptic drugs (AEDs) when monotherapy fails.
  • Up to 50% of epilepsy patients use combination therapy, highlighting the limitations of monotherapy.

Purpose:

  • To review the principles and evidence for combination therapy in epilepsy management.
  • To explore the concept of rational polypharmacy and its potential benefits.

Summary:

  • Monotherapy achieves seizure freedom in only ~65% of patients, necessitating combination therapy for many.
  • Rational polypharmacy involves combining AEDs with distinct mechanisms of action.
  • While superior efficacy of rational polypharmacy over similar-mechanism combinations isn't proven, some trials suggest better tolerability and efficacy.

More Related Videos

Electroconvulsive Seizures in Rats and Fractionation of Their Hippocampi to Examine Seizure-induced Changes in Postsynaptic Density Proteins
09:07

Electroconvulsive Seizures in Rats and Fractionation of Their Hippocampi to Examine Seizure-induced Changes in Postsynaptic Density Proteins

Published on: August 15, 2017

Using a Bipolar Electrode to Create a Temporal Lobe Epilepsy Mouse Model by Electrical Kindling of the Amygdala
09:49

Using a Bipolar Electrode to Create a Temporal Lobe Epilepsy Mouse Model by Electrical Kindling of the Amygdala

Published on: June 29, 2022

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: May 23, 2026

Electrophoretic Delivery of γ-aminobutyric Acid (GABA) into Epileptic Focus Prevents Seizures in Mice
07:01

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

Published on: May 16, 2019

Electroconvulsive Seizures in Rats and Fractionation of Their Hippocampi to Examine Seizure-induced Changes in Postsynaptic Density Proteins
09:07

Electroconvulsive Seizures in Rats and Fractionation of Their Hippocampi to Examine Seizure-induced Changes in Postsynaptic Density Proteins

Published on: August 15, 2017

Using a Bipolar Electrode to Create a Temporal Lobe Epilepsy Mouse Model by Electrical Kindling of the Amygdala
09:49

Using a Bipolar Electrode to Create a Temporal Lobe Epilepsy Mouse Model by Electrical Kindling of the Amygdala

Published on: June 29, 2022

Impact:

  • Informs clinical decisions regarding AED selection and combination strategies.
  • Emphasizes the importance of considering efficacy, safety, interactions, costs, and comorbidities in polypharmacy.
  • Highlights the potential of rational polypharmacy to improve seizure control and patient outcomes.