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Goodman & Gilman's The Pharmacological Basis of Therapeutics, 11e
| III. Drugs Acting on the Central Nervous System > |
Benzodiazepines
Sections: Antiseizure
Properties, Mechanism of
Action, Pharmacokinetic
Properties, Toxicity, Plasma Drug
Concentrations, Therapeutic
Uses.
Topics Discussed: anticonvulsants; benzodiazepine poisoning; benzodiazepines; epilepsy; seizures.
Excerpt:
"The benzodiazepines are employed clinically primarily as sedative-antianxiety
drugs; their pharmacology is described in Chapters 16 and 17. Discussion here is limited
to consideration of their usefulness in the therapy of the epilepsies.
A large number of benzodiazepines have broad antiseizure properties,
but only clonazepam (KLONOPIN) and
clorazepate
(TRANXENE-SD,
others) have been approved in the United States for the long-term
treatment of certain types of seizures.
Diazepam
(VALIUM,
DIASTAT
;
others) and
lorazepam
(ATIVAN) have well-defined roles in the
management of status epilepticus. The structures of the benzodiazepines
are shown in Chapter 16.In animals, prevention of pentylenetetrazol-induced seizures
by the benzodiazepines is much more prominent than is their modification
of the maximal electroshock seizure pattern. Clonazepam is unusually
potent in antagonizing the effects of pentylenetetrazol, but it
is almost without action on seizures induced by maximal electroshock.
Benzodiazepines, including clonazepam, suppress the spread of kindled
seizures..."
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