Brivaracetam in Combination with Midazolam and Ketamine Reduces Soman-Induced Seizure and Neurodegeneration in Rats

Status epilepticus (SE) is a life-threatening condition that requires immediate response to effectively control. Although benzodiazepines are the first-line treatment against SE, when treatment is delayed, benzodiazepine pharmacoresistance develops. In preclinical models of benzodiazepine refractory SE, the addition of antiseizure medications (ASMs) as adjunct to midazolam to reduce neuronal excitability and enhance inhibitory function is essential to protect against the neurodegeneration and epileptogenesis that follows prolonged seizure. Brivaracetam is a recently FDA-approved ASM to treat partial onset seizures in pediatric and adult patients as a monotherapy or adjunct therapy. We evaluated the potential of brivaracetam as monotherapy or in combination with midazolam and ketamine for efficacy against organophosphorus nerve agent (OPNA)-induced refractory SE in rats.

Adult male rats were exposed to a seizure-inducing dose of soman and treated with atropine sulfate and the oxime asoxime chloride one minute after soman exposure and with brivaracetam alone or in combination with midazolam and ketamine 40 min after seizure onset. Multiple metrics of protection such as seizure severity, spontaneous recurrent seizure (SRS), neuronal loss, and neuroinflammation were evaluated.

Although brivaracetam monotherapy resulted in 100% survival, protection from the development of SRS and neurodegeneration only occurred when brivaracetam was administered as an adjunct to ketamine and midazolam. Initial seizure severity was also reduced by the combination of brivaracetam-midazolam-ketamine over monotherapy.

Although further research is needed to determine optimal drug combinations, these preclinical findings provided further evidence that simultaneous polytherapy with ASMs improves OPNA-induced seizure outcomes.