Benzodiazepines in epilepsy: pharmacology and pharmacokinetics

@article{Riss2008BenzodiazepinesIE,
  title={Benzodiazepines in epilepsy: pharmacology and pharmacokinetics},
  author={Jennifer Riss and James C. Cloyd and John R. Gates and Stephen D. Collins},
  journal={Acta Neurologica Scandinavica},
  year={2008},
  volume={118}
}
Benzodiazepines (BZDs) remain important agents in the management of epilepsy. They are drugs of first choice for status epilepticus and seizures associated with post‐anoxic insult and are also frequently used in the treatment of febrile, acute repetitive and alcohol withdrawal seizures. Clinical advantages of these drugs include rapid onset of action, high efficacy rates and minimal toxicity. Benzodiazepines are used in a variety of clinical situations because they have a broad spectrum of… Expand
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Benzodiazepines for prolonged seizures
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  • Medicine
  • Archives of Disease in Childhood: Education & Practice Edition
  • 2010
TLDR
Diazepam, lorazepam and midazolam, the drugs most widely used to stop prolonged seizures, are members of the benzodiazepine family, a class of psychoactive drugs with varying hypnotic, sedative, anxiolytic, anticonvulsant, muscle relaxant and amnesic properties. Expand
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TLDR
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TLDR
There is a need to find safer therapeutic alternatives for treating seizures and anxiety disorders and greater awareness of its frequent nonmedical use is also needed to achieve safer overall use of this medication. Expand
Levetiracetam: a review of its use in epilepsy.
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Oral levetiracetam provided seizure control relative to placebo as adjunctive therapy in patients with idiopathic generalized epilepsy with myoclonic seizures or GTC seizures and showed improvements in measures of health-related quality of life relative to those receiving placebo. Expand
New approach for detoxification of patients dependent on benzodiazepines and Z-drugs for reduction of psychogenic complications.
TLDR
Individually prepared pharmaceutics with different and precise diazepam contents can be used for comfortable detoxification and also may eliminate psychogenic stress during switching, tapering, and the withdrawal period. Expand
Imidazenil, a non-sedating anticonvulsant benzodiazepine, is more potent than diazepam in protecting against DFP-induced seizures and neuronal damage.
TLDR
The combination of atropine and imidazenil is at least 10-fold more potent and longer lasting than the combination with diazepam at protecting rats from DFP-induced seizures and the associated neuronal damage or ongoing degeneration in the anterior cingulate cortex, CA1 hippocampus, and dentate gyrus. Expand
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