Treatment with antiepileptic drugs: possible neuroprotective effects

Findings from studies involving both rat models of epilepsy and humans with temporal lobe epilepsy suggest that epileptic seizures may induce hippocampal neuronal damage. This damage appears to be progressive over time and has been shown to be associated with memory impairment. Vigabatrin has been shown to protect against hippocampal neuronal cell death in experimental models of epilepsy. Because of the protection it provides against neuronal loss and functional impairment, vigabatrin may be a useful component of antiepileptic polytherapy.