The management of the pregnant epileptic requires close cooperation between the neurologist and obstetrician. To prevent complications, knowledge is required about the natural history of epilepsy during pregnancy, the possible teratogenic effects of antiepileptic drugs, and changes in their absorption, biotransformation, and excretion. Close plasma antiepileptic drug monitoring is required beca...

The use of older generation antiepileptic drugs (AEDs) during pregnancy is known to be associated with a two- to threefold increased risk of birth defects in the offspring and possible also other adverse outcomes in the exposed infant. Much less has been known about newer generation AEDs in this respect. Recent studies based on national registries as well as specific epilepsy and pregnancy regi...

Epilepsy is the most common chronic neurological disorder of the brain. For several decades different kinds of medications have been used to treat epilepsy. Even though many surgical advances has been made and implemented, medications remain the basis of treatment. The search for noble antiepileptic drugs (AEDs) with more selective activity and lower toxicity continues to be an area of intensiv...

In a prospective observational study published in the current issue of Neurology®, Shallcross et al. compared cognitive and language skills of children born to women with epilepsy (WWE) exposed in utero to levetiracetam (LEV, n 5 53) or sodium valproate (VPA, n5 44), and control children born to mothers without epilepsy or medication exposure during pregnancy (n5 133). WWE were recruited from t...

Servicio de Farmacia, Clínica Universitaria, Pamplona, Spain Servicio de Farmacia, Hospital General de Castellón, Castellón, Spain Servicio de Farmacia, Hospital Universitario Reina Sofía, Córdoba, Spain Servicio de Farmacia, Hospital Universitario de Salamanca, Spain Servicio de Farmacia, Hospital San Joan de Déu, Esplugues de Llobregat, Barcelona, Spain Servicio de Farmacia, Hospital Severo O...

Approximately 30-40% of patients do not achieve seizure control with a single antiepileptic drug (AED). With the advent of multiple AEDs in the past 15 years, rational polytherapy, the goal of finding combinations of AEDs that have favorable characteristics, has become of greater importance. We review the theoretical considerations based on AED mechanism of action, animal models, human studies ...

Placental function in the presence of antiepileptic drugs was assessed in 144 unselected late pregnancies of women with epilepsy. The most common drugs of the mothers were phenytoin (104 pregnancies), carbamazepine (42) and phenobarbitone (26). 144 control parturients matched for maternal age, parity, fetal sex and social class were also studied. No significant associations between the types or...

BACKGROUND The present study compares antiepileptic drugs and aromatase (CYP19) inhibitors for chemical and structural similarity. Human aromatase is well known as an important pharmacological target in anti-breast cancer therapy, but recent research demonstrates its role in epileptic seizures, as well. The current antiepileptic treatment methods cause severe side effects that endanger patient ...

PURPOSE Currently around 30% of all newly developed seizures are diagnosed in persons older than 65 years. Five to 17% of nursing home-residents take antiepileptic drugs. The aim of our study was to analyze the type and frequency of prescribed antiepileptic drugs, as well as their indication, co-morbidities and co-medications in institutionalized elderly in Austria. METHODS This was a retrosp...