Pharmacological Approaches to the Treatment of Epilepsy

Czech version

Authors: J. Hovorka
Authors‘ workplace: Neurochirurgická klinika 1. LF UK a ÚVN Praha
Published in: Cesk Slov Neurol N 2010; 73/106(4): 351-373
Category: Minimonography

Overview

In this paper we provide an overview of the basic principles of the treatment of epilepsy. These include attention to certain key points: making a correct diagnosis; the risk of seizure recurrence; the decision to initiate drug therapy in newly-diagnosed epilepsy; drug choice in relation to seizure/syndrome type and individual patient characteristics; treatment strategy in terms of monotherapy or of combination therapy; the treatment of pharmaco-resistant epilepsy, and finally the decision to withdraw antiepileptic drug(s) from seizure-free patients.

Key words:
epilepsy – treatment of epilepsy – anti-epileptic drugs – treatment strategy – newly diagnosed epilepsy – monotherapy – rational polytherapy – pharmaco-resistant epilepsy – drug withdrawal

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