Drugs Used in Epileptic Disorders

You may have witnessed a typical roadside scene where a adult has suddenly fallen down and common people corner gathered around him, saying that he has had an attack of mirgi (the Hindi designation for epilepsy). Epilepsy is characterized by fits with loss or disturbance of consciousness, influential to an inability to carry on posture. There may be other symptoms approximating increased muscle tone causing a 'locked jaw', followed by decreased muscle tone, frothing at the mouth, and the eyeballs stirring upwards followed by convulsive movements of the arms or legs. An attack of epilepsy may arise at any future and it is usually difficult to predict its onset. However, epilepsy attacks in which some patients move a warning signal or aura in the embodiment of flashes of luminosity or sounds is called major epilepsy (or grand mal epilepsy or generalised tonic-clonic seizures). Other forms are absence seizures (minor epilepsy or petit mal epilepsy); atonic seizures (akinetic unconsciousness with muscle relaxation resulting in fall); myclonic epilepsy (shock liking intermittent muscular contractions) and infantile spasms (seen in infants).
Myoclonic epilepsy is characterized by jerky movements of some object parts alongwith tonic-clonic movements. Drugs like sodium valproate or clonazepam are found to be useful in the treatment of this contour of epilepsy. Lamotrogine and topiramate are other durgs erect to be useful.
Atonic epilepsy (seizures) is a variant of petit mal epilepsy in children. There is a version of repeated falls due to sudden loss of muscle tone. It is treated by drugs used in petit mal epilepsy.
Infantile spasms begins from infancy. There are brief jerking movements of complete intent as a by-product there is spasm of full body. It is associated with intellectual retardation. The treatment is unsatisfactory with drugs. Sodium valproate, clonazepam corticosteroids and are found to be effective in some cases.
Causes: The exact cause of primary epilepsy is not known. It has been suggested that some localized areas of the brain metamorphose hyperexcitable either due to changes in its vascular work or other unknown reasons. Various factors such as changes in the blood gases, shorten in blood sugar and calcium, stress and strain, may precipitate an attack of epilepsy too. Seizures possibly due to brain infection, metabolic disturbances, toxic eventuality of drugs, withdrawal after longer capitalization of alcohol and tranquilizers, eclampsia or brain tumors. Head-injury is another customary cause.

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