Antiepileptics and NO-precursors may be beneficial for stroke-like episodes

Pathogenesis and management of stroke-like episodes in mitochondrial disorders is under debate and no consensus has been reached thus far how this phenomenon should be managed. Frequently applied are nitric oxide (NO) precursors but a well-designed study confirming the effectiveness of such an approach is lacking. Administration of antiepileptic drugs can be meaningful if there is paroxysmal activity on EEG or if a patient presents with seizures. The case reported by Sakai et al. suggests that administration of antiepileptic drugs for a stroke-like episode may be beneficial even in the absence of seizures or paroxysmal EEG activity.