Epilepsy
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Epilepsy is defined as "a disorder characterized by recurrent episodes of paroxysmal brain dysfunction due to a sudden, disorderly, and excessive neuronal discharge. Epilepsy classification systems are generally based upon: (1) clinical features of the seizure episodes (e.g., motor seizure), (2) etiology (e.g., post-traumatic), (3) anatomic site of seizure origin (e.g., frontal lobe seizure), (4) tendency to spread to other structures in the brain, and (5) temporal patterns."[1]
Treatment
A randomized controlled trial concluded:[2][3]
- For partial seizures, "lamotrigine may be a clinical and cost-effective alternative to the existing standard drug treatment, carbamazepine"
- For idiopathic generalised epilepsy or difficult to classify epilepsy, "valproate remains the clinically most effective drug, although topiramate may be a cost-effective alternative for some patients".
References
- ↑ National Library of Medicine. Epilepsy. Retrieved on 2007-10-26.
- ↑ Marson AG, Al-Kharusi AM, Alwaidh M, et al (2007). "The SANAD study of effectiveness of valproate, lamotrigine, or topiramate for generalised and unclassifiable epilepsy: an unblinded randomised controlled trial". Lancet 369 (9566): 1016–26. DOI:10.1016/S0140-6736(07)60461-9. PMID 17382828. Research Blogging.
- ↑ Marson AG, Appleton R, Baker GA, et al (2007). "A randomised controlled trial examining the longer-term outcomes of standard versus new antiepileptic drugs. The SANAD trial". Health technology assessment (Winchester, England) 11 (37): 1–154. PMID 17903391. [e]