Felix-Martin Werner and Rafael Covenas
Euro Akademie Pobneck, Germany
Institute of Neurosciences of Castilla and Leon, Spain
Scientific Tracks Abstracts: J Neurol Neurophysiol
We reviewed the alterations of neurotransmitters and neuropeptides in the following brain areas involved in generalized epilepsy: hippocampus, hypothalamus, thalamus and cerebral cortex. In these brain areas, neural networks are also actualized. The mechanisms of action of newer antiepileptic drugs, for example a GABAB agonist, an AMPA receptor antagonist and brivaracetam, used in the treatment of generalized epilepsy are also discussed. Updating the neural networks, we suggest that in the hippocampus GABAergic neurons presynaptically inhibit, via GABAB receptors, epileptogenic neurons. GABAergic, glutamatergic, serotonergic and dopaminergic neurons form the principal neural network, while GABA and serotonin deficiency and dopamine and glutamate hyperactivity have a proconvulsant effect. In preclinical studies, the GABAB receptor agonist GS-39,783 exerted a good antiepileptic effect. Perampanel, an AMPA receptor antagonist, showed good anticonvulsant effects in the treatment of partialonset seizures and primary generalized tonic-clonic seizures. In this treatment, perampanel can be combined with other antiepileptic drugs. Brivaracetam, whose mechanism of action will be explained in detail, showed a good efficacy in the treatment of adult focal seizures and secondarily generalized tonic-clonic seizures.
Felix-Martin Werner studied Human Medicine at the University of Bonn. He has been working as a medical teacher in the formation of geriatric nurses, occupational therapists and assistants of the Medical Doctor at the Euro Academy in Pößneck since 1999. He has been doing scientific work at the Institute of Neurosciences of Castilla and León (INCYL) in Salamanca, Spain since 2002. With Professor Rafael Coveñas, he assisted at over 30 national and 12 international Congresses of Neurology and published over 40 reviews and two books about neural networks in neurological and psychiatric diseases. Since 2014, he has belonged to the Editorial Board of the Journal of Cytology & Histology.
E-mail: Felixm-Werner@online.de
