TY - JOUR
T1 - The mechanisms of action of commonly used antiepileptic drugs
AU - Kwan, Patrick
AU - Sills, Graeme J.
AU - Brodie, Martin J.
PY - 2001/7/19
Y1 - 2001/7/19
N2 - In the past decade, nine new drugs have been licensed for the treatment of epilepsy. With limited clinical experience of these agents, the mechanisms of action of antiepileptic drugs may be an important criterion in the selection of the most suitable treatment regimens for individual patients. At the cellular level, three basic mechanisms are recognised: modulation of voltage-dependent ion channels, enhancement of inhibitory neurotransmission, and attenuation of excitatory transmission. In this review, we will attempt to introduce the concepts of ion channel and neurotransmitter modulation and, thereafter, group currently used antiepileptic drugs according to their principal mechanisms of action.
AB - In the past decade, nine new drugs have been licensed for the treatment of epilepsy. With limited clinical experience of these agents, the mechanisms of action of antiepileptic drugs may be an important criterion in the selection of the most suitable treatment regimens for individual patients. At the cellular level, three basic mechanisms are recognised: modulation of voltage-dependent ion channels, enhancement of inhibitory neurotransmission, and attenuation of excitatory transmission. In this review, we will attempt to introduce the concepts of ion channel and neurotransmitter modulation and, thereafter, group currently used antiepileptic drugs according to their principal mechanisms of action.
KW - Antiepileptic drugs
KW - Epilepsy
KW - Mechanisms of action
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=0034935392&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1016/S0163-7258(01)00122-X
DO - 10.1016/S0163-7258(01)00122-X
M3 - Review Article
C2 - 11448723
AN - SCOPUS:0034935392
VL - 90
SP - 21
EP - 34
JO - Pharmacology and Therapeutics
JF - Pharmacology and Therapeutics
SN - 0163-7258
IS - 1
ER -