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15 Cards in this Set
- Front
- Back
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Types of Epilepsy |
Generalised seizures - abnormal EEG, widespread Partial seizures - confined to discrete brain regions |
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Generalised seizures |
Tonic-clonic seizures (Grand mal) Absence serizures (Petit mal) |
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Tonic-clonic seizures (Grand mal) |
Loss of consciousness and posture Violent motor abnormalities Gradual recovery, confusion Tonic phase: increased muscle tone, rigidity Clonic phase: synchronised jerking movements, limbs and body |
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Absence seizures (Petit mal) |
brief loss of consciousness Some clonic motor activity Rapid recovery Begin in childhood Some drugs are effective ONLY for absence seizures |
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Partial seizures |
- Simple partial seizures (no LOC): Focal seizures - Complex partial seizures (consciousness is impaired: Psychomotor seizures |
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Cause of Neuronal Hyperactivity |
Increased synaptic excitation Reduced synaptic inhibition Increased intrinsic excitability Some combination of the above Anti-epileptic drugs ideally would reduce hyperactivity without affecting normal activity |
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Anti-epileptic Drugs: All seizure types |
- Valproate -Diazepram (status epilepticus) - Lamotrigine |
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Anti-epileptic drugs: All types other than absence seizures |
-Phenytoin -Carbamazepine |
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Anti-epileptic drugs: Absence seizures |
Ethosuzimide |
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Anti-epileptic drugs: Partial Seizures |
-Gabapentin -Tiagabine -Levetiracetam -Zonisamide |
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Drug Treatments: Sodium Channels |
Carbamazepine, valproate and phenytoin are believed to work by inhibiting repetitive firing, by increasing the number of Na+ channels in the inactivated state; valproate also increases GABAergic inhibition |
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Drug Treatments: Calcium Channels |
Ethozuximide and valproate inhibit T-type Ca2+ channels in the thalamus, reducing thalamocortical oscillations in absence seizures |
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Common Adverse Affects: Carbamazepine |
Nausea, dizziness, drowsiness, ataxia and blurred vision; rarely agranulocytosis |
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Common Adverse Affects: Lamotrigine |
Blurred vision, dizziness, drowsiness |
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Common Adverse Affects: Valproate |
Relatively few sedative side effects; nausea, weight gain, transient hair loss, bleeding; rarely severe hepatic toxicity |
