anticonvulsant

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Related to Antiepileptics: Analgesics, Benzodiazepines

anticonvulsant

[an″te, an″ti-kon-vul´sant]

1. inhibiting convulsions.

2. an agent that has this effect, such as diphenylhydantoin (Dilantin), mephenytoin (Mesantoin), and trimethadione. They are used in the treatment of epilepsy and in psychomotor and myoclonic seizures.

an·ti·con·vul·sant

(an'tē-kon-vŭl'sant),

1. Preventing or arresting seizures.

2. An agent having such action.

Synonym(s): anticonvulsive, antiepileptic

anticonvulsant

/an·ti·con·vul·sant/ (-kon-vul´sant) inhibiting convulsions, or an agent that does this.

anticonvulsant

(ăn′tē-kən-vŭl′sənt, ăn′tī-)

A drug that prevents or relieves convulsions.

an′ti·con·vul′sive (-sĭv) adj.

anticonvulsant

[-kənvul′sənt/]

Etymology: Gk, anti + L, convellere, to shake

1 pertaining to a substance or procedure that prevents or reduces the severity of epileptic or other convulsive seizures.

2 an anticonvulsant drug. Hydantoin derivatives, especially phenytoin, apparently exert their anticonvulsant effect by stabilizing the plasma membrane and decreasing intracellular sodium levels; as a result, the excitability of the epileptogenic focus is reduced. Phenytoin prevents the spread of excessive discharges in motor areas and suppresses arrhythmias originating in the thalamus, frontal lobes, and other brain areas. Succinic acid derivatives, valproic acid, and various barbiturates are among the drugs prescribed to limit or prevent absence seizures. Some benzodiazepines are also useful as anticonvulsants. Many of these agents can produce fetal malformations when administered to pregnant women. Also called antiepileptic.

anticonvulsant

adjective Related to preventing seizures noun Any agent used to prevent, reduce or stop seizures or convulsions. See Epilepsy.

an·ti·con·vul·sant

(an'tē-kŏn-vŭl'sănt)

1.Preventing or arresting seizures.

2. An agent having such action.

anticonvulsant

A drug used to prevent or reduce the severity of epileptic attacks, or to prevent dangerous muscle contraction in electroconvulsive therapy. Anticonvulsant drugs include PHENYTOIN (Epanutin), PHENOBARBITONE (phenobarbital) (Luminal), ETHOSUXIMIDE (Zarontin), CARBAMAZEPINE (Tegretol), SODIUM VALPROATE (Epilim) and CLONAZEPAM (Rivotril).

Anticonvulsant

A type of drug given to prevent seizures. Some patients with migraines can be treated effectively with an anticonvulsant.

Mentioned in: Antimigraine Drugs

an·ti·con·vul·sant

(an'tē-kŏn-vŭl'sănt)

1. Preventing or arresting seizures.

2. An agent having such action.
Synonym(s): anticonvulsive.

anticonvulsant

1. inhibiting convulsions. Any drug that depresses the central nervous system may be used for its anticonvulsant effect. This includes narcotics and sedatives. They have the undesirable effect of depressing all CNS functions.

2. a specific motor depressant, such as anticonvulsant or antiepileptic, which depresses specifically the motor centers and suppresses spontaneous motor activity; examples are phenobarbital, phenytoin, primidone and diazepam.

References in periodicals archive ?

Unlike the older drugs, third-generation antiepileptics have not shown their risks for anomalies to be dose dependent, he added.

Monitor newer antiepileptics closely

Antiepileptic drugs (AEDs) were associated with an increased risk of suicide attempts or completions among patients with depression and in the relatively small group of patients who were taking AEDs for indications other than epilepsy, depression, or bipolar disorder.

Antiepileptics did not raise suicide risk in database study

A spokesperson for Ortho-McNeil, maker of Topamax (topiramate), noted that the label for the company's antiepileptic drug has always carried language on suicide.

Suicidality alert on antiepileptic labels likely to be broadened

Blood samples were collected from epilepsy patients who were treated with carbamazepine, phenobarbital, phenytoin, or mixtures containing two or three of these antiepileptics.

Therapeutic drug monitoring of anticonvulsant drugs by micellar HPLC with direct injection of serum samples

NEAD is an ongoing study of 309 children, including three sets of twins, born in either the United States or the United Kingdom from 1999 to 2004, whose mothers were taking a single antiepileptic drug (AED): carbamazepine, lamotrigine, phenytoin, or valproate.

Lower IQ is linked to prenatal valproate use

There was a statistically significant level of improvement among patients prescribed tertiary amines and among those prescribed a combination of antiepileptics and antidepressants.

Most neuropathic pain patients on combo see improved VAS scores

The effects of antiepileptic therapy can be assessed only through evaluation of the patient's seizure frequency, a sometimes time-consuming process, especially if seizures are infrequent.

Standards of laboratory practice: antiepileptic drug monitoring

Prescriptions of Antiepileptics Used in the Treatment of Bipolar Disorder

Research & Markets: Only Eli Lilly's Symbyax and AstraZeneca's Seroquel have Received FDA Approval for Treatment of Bipolar Depression

Evidence that reducing the dose can effectively reduce malformations came in a report last year from the Australian pregnancy registry for women on AEDs, which found the risk of fetal malformations was 13 times higher among women taking more than 1,100 mg of valproic acid per day as monotherapy, compared with women not taking an antiepileptic drug.

Valproic acid

Matthews obtained follow-up information for 36 of the patients; 22 had maintained their antiepileptic therapy and 14 had discontinued it.

Antiepilepsy meds ease explosive disorder

When antiepileptics are combined, the rate of fetal malformations increases.

Drugs, Pregnancy, and Lactation. (Antiepileptics)

In this research, Frost & Sullivan expert analysts thoroughly examine the following markets: anti-Alzheimer drugs, anti-Parkinsonian drugs, antiepileptics, pain management drugs, antidepressants, and antipsychotics.