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Query: UMLS:C0036572 (seizures)
 80,221 document(s) hit in 31,850,051 MEDLINE articles (0.00 seconds)

We studied the neuroprotective effect of vigabatrin (gamma-vinyl GABA, VGB) in the rat hippocampus after status epilepticus (SE) induced by kainic acid (KA). Rats were treated with VGB (500 or 1000 mg/kg, i.p.) 24 h before KA injection (9 mg/kg, i.p.). The lower dose of VGB had no effect on the generation or severity of convulsions. However, VGB decreased neuronal damage in the CA3a (P < 0.05) and CA1 (P < 0.01) subfields of the hippocampus. The higher dose of VGB attenuated the severity of convulsions (P < 0.05) but had no effect on the development or generalization of convulsions. This finding may have clinical implications in the prevention of neuronal damage induced by drug refractory seizures or SE.
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PMID:Vigabatrin protects against kainic acid-induced neuronal damage in the rat hippocampus. 747 43

Behavioral characteristics of seizures have age-dependent features, which suggests that effective treatment of seizures may be age-specific as well. In experiments that used the flurothyl seizure model, we examined the effects of several drugs that affect GABAergic neurotransmission in rats of various ages. Systemic administration of phenobarbital (PB, a drug that enhances GABAA receptor-mediated inhibition) was anticonvulsant in most age groups. In contrast, gamma-vinyl GABA (VGB, a drug that increases endogenous GABA levels and enhances both GABAA and GABAB receptor transmission) did not have anticonvulsant effects. Baclofen (a GABAB receptor agonist) was proconvulsant in 9-day-old rat pups, and anticonvulsant in 15-30-day-old rats and lost its anticonvulsant activity in 60-day-old rats. CGP 35348 (a GABAB receptor antagonist) was proconvulsant in developing rats but not in 60-day-old rats. A novel GABAB receptor antagonist, CGP 36742, was proconvulsant in 9- and 15-day-old rats but had no effects in 30- and 60-day-old rats. These results indicate that the effects of presumed GABAergic agents are not uniform across the age span. The differences may reflect age-dependent maturational changes of GABA receptor subtypes, differential action of the drugs on pre- and postsynaptic sites and possible non-GABAergic effects.
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PMID:Age-dependent effects of gamma-aminobutyric acid agents on flurothyl seizures. 755 78

This study was made to assess whether the physical structure or the commercial make of a glove has any influence on the penetration of liquid through perforations in the glove during work. A comparison was made between three types of gloves (10 for each brand name and type): vinyl (Peha Fit, Paul Hartmann), latex (without ASTM certification), and Biogel D (Regent Dental Division) for a total of 30 gloves. Of the 10 gloves for each type, five were worn tightly adhering to the operator's hand and five were worn relatively loosely. Holes of a predetermined size (0.40 mm) were made in each glove on the index, middle, and ring fingers, for a total of 90 holes. A randomized preprogrammed list ensured a perfect balance of the three variables: type of glove, adherence to the hand, and fingers having holes. The amount of liquid that penetrated the gloves through the holes was determined by placing the gloved hand in a tank containing a colored substance for 3 minutes and then analyzing the colored substance that had penetrated the glove with an ultraviolet (UV) spectrophotometer. The results clearly showed that the amount of liquid that penetrated through the holes varied significantly (p < 0.001) according to the type of glove tested. The mean quantity of liquid penetrating the vinyl gloves (6.24 microL) was approximately five times higher than that of the latex gloves (1.20 microL), and 100 times higher than that of the Biogel D gloves (0.05 microL). The statistical differences between the three types of gloves were even more significant in the cases in which the glove adhered closely to the hand (12.44 microL in vinyl, 2.37 microL in latex, and 0.09 microL in Biogel D), whereas no significant difference was found when the gloves were loose (0.03 microL in vinyl, 0.04 microL in latex, and 0.00 microL in Biogel D).
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PMID:Influence of dental glove type on the penetration of liquid through experimental perforation: a spectrophotometric analysis. 756 19

In 9 drug-resistant patients with partial seizures treated with vigabatrin, gamma-vinyl GABA (VGB), alanine aminotransaminase (ALAT) activity in plasma was significantly reduced. Comparison of in vitro with in vivo measurements led us to conclude that this reduction is mainly an in vivo phenomenon, perhaps due to cross-enzyme inhibition. The assessment of two biological variables linked with ALAT, glucose and alanine levels under fasting conditions, failed to show any significant metabolic alterations. VGB is an effective drug for partial epilepsy. Our observations do not suggest that reduced ALAT activity is of clinical concern.
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PMID:Reduction of plasma alanine aminotransferase during vigabatrin treatment. 763 99

Vigabatrin (gamma-vinyl-GABA or GVG) is an irreversible inhibitor of gamma-aminobutyric acid transaminase (GABA-T), which is an enzyme responsible for gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) catabolism. Inhibition of GABA catabolism increases brain concentration of GABA, a neural inhibitor. GVG has been found to be a potent new anti-epileptic drug, especially in the treatment of refractory epilepsy, in particular of complex partial seizures. Three patients who developed a severe status epilepitus while on GVG treatment are reported. A possible proconvulsive effect of GVG is hypothesized, which might result from disinhibition in the nigro-collicular pathway due to increased GABA-levels.
Seizure 1995 Jun
PMID:Status epilepticus during vigabatrin treatment: a report of three cases. 767 Jul 70

The new anticonvulsant vigabatrin (gamma-vinyl-gamma-aminobutyric acid) is normally supplied as a racemate, but its anticonvulsant effect is thought to reside in its [S]-enantiomer only. The plasma concentration ratio of the [R] to [S] enantiomers appears to remain constant across the vigabatrin dosage interval in adult volunteers, and in the present study this has also proved to be the case in 12 chronically treated adult epileptic patients. However, in 8 epileptic children chronically treated with other anticonvulsants and given add-on vigabatrin therapy because of failure to control seizures, plasma [R]:[S]-vigabatrin ratios changed across the drug dosage interval, the [R]-vigabatrin levels tending to be relatively higher soon after intake, and to fall more rapidly than the [S]-vigabatrin concentrations over the next few hours (mean half-lives 2.52 +/- SD 0.49 and 6.53 +/- SD 6.62 hours). The reason for the shorter half-life of [R]-vigabatrin in children remains to be elucidated, but it appears that measurement of racemic vigabatrin plasma concentrations in children, though not in adults, may lead to somewhat misleading conclusions as regards the amount of the circulating anticonvulsant [S]-vigabatrin.
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PMID:Plasma vigabatrin enantiomer ratios in adults and children. 771 23

In the context of a study of the effects of gamma-vinyl-GABA (GVG) on seizure occurrence and on EEG abnormalities we present three cases with focal epilepsy in which new clinical and EEG paroxysmal manifestations were observed during GVG therapy. At that time, whereas an amelioration or no change in patients' habitual seizures were observed, myoclonic jerks appeared with related changes in the EEG paroxysmal abnormalities, represented by generalized polyspike and wave complexes. An electroclinical correlation was recorded in one case. These data indicate that, although occurring rarely, it is possible to have epileptic myoclonus during GVG treatment. Mechanisms underlying these manifestations are difficult to explain. Probably a shift in the anti/proconvulsant GABAergic balance towards the latter may compromise the therapeutic effect of GVG.
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PMID:Development of myoclonus in patients with partial epilepsy during treatment with vigabatrin: an electroencephalographic study. 773 67

Sixty-nine children, aged from 2 months to 16 years and suffering from different types of drug-resistant epileptic seizures, mostly complex partial and secondary generalised, were recruited in an open, uncontrolled, prospective study of treatment with vigabatrin (gamma-vinyl GABA). Following a 3-month baseline observation period, the initial dose of vigabatrin of 10 mg/kg per day was progressively increased up to a maximum of 140 mg/kg per day, in addition to the conventional concomitant therapy. Sixteen patients showed a > or = 50% reduction in seizure frequency compared with the baseline, with complete control of seizures in nine cases. In 14 other patients, no substantial change in seizure frequency was observed, although an improvement in psychological performance after vigabatrin treatment warranted further continuation of the drug. In 35 patients vigabatrin was discontinued because of lack of efficacy (22 cases) and/or increased seizure frequency (13 cases). The clinical and biological tolerance of vigabatrin was remarkably good.
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PMID:Vigabatrin treatment in children. 792 35

The antiepileptic effect of vigabatrin (gamma-vinyl GABA, VGB) in children has been demonstrated in controlled and open studies. According to the literature, results were good to excellent in partial seizures (with and without becoming secondarily generalized) and promising in infantile spasms (IS). In patients with myoclonic epilepsies of early childhood and especially those with Lennox-Gastaut syndrome (LGS), the effect of VGB has been investigated only to a limited extent and the pattern of response was variable. The present open, add-on, dose-ranging study was initiated to assess the long-term effect and safety of VGB in a cohort of 20 children with LGS who were not responding sufficiently to first-line drug monotherapy with valproate (VPA) instead of adding classical second-line antiepileptic drugs [AEDs: benzodiazepines (BZD), phenobarbital (PB), primidone (PRM)], which usually are associated with rapid diminution of their antiepileptic properties and a high frequency of side effects. Eighty-five percent of children experienced a 50-100% reduction in seizure frequency, even after dose reduction of VPA. No serious side effects occurred except in 1 patient who experienced dyskinesia. Mood changes, sedation, ataxia, and hypersalivation, well-known complications of other AEDs, were not observed.
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PMID:Gamma-vinyl-GABA (vigabatrin) in the therapy of Lennox-Gastaut syndrome: an open study. 792 71

We explored factors that may predispose patients to adverse mood effects during treatment with vigabatrin (gamma-vinyl GABA; VGB): mood disorders before VGB treatment, type of epilepsy, seizure type and seizure frequency, type and number of comedication, and VGB dose. The clinical relevance of such a study is that it may help identify circumstances in which VGB should be administered with caution. Seventy-three patients (40 males, 33 females), all with refractory epilepsies, who received VGB as add-on therapy, were assessed by the Amsterdamse Stemmingslyst (ASL), a mood-rating scale, before the start of treatment, and demographic and clinical data were recorded. The patients were followed for 6 months after the start of VGB treatment. Treatment with VGB had to be discontinued in 38 patients (52% of the total sample). Mood problems were the main reason for discontinuation in 9 (12.3% of the total sample). In 6 other patients, mood problems were mentioned as the reason for discontinuing treatment, in combination with lack of drug efficacy. Development of adverse mood effects could not be predicted by a specific mood profile on the ASL. Before treatment, the "mood problems discontinuation group" did not show extreme scores for any assessed areas of mood and no significant differences from other patients were noted on the mood scales. Neither did clinical or demographic data show statistically confirmed specific characteristics for the mood problems discontinuation group, though the patients tended to use more antiepileptic drugs (AEDs) as cotherapy, to have a slightly lower daily dose of VGB, to be slightly older, and were mostly female.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
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PMID:Gamma-vinyl GABA (vigabatrin) and mood disturbances. 792 72


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