An Insight into the New Anticonvulsant Agents

Waquar      Ahsan; Mohsin      M. Safhi; Nadeem      Siddiqui; Shamama      Javed; M.      Shamsher Alam; Bishmillah      Azad; Jawaid      Akhtar

doi:10.2174/156802612800229233

Abstract

The use of current antiepileptic drugs has been questioned due to the nonselectivity of the drugs and the undesirable side effects posed by them. This led to an intensive investigation in this area worldwide during the past 10 years. There have been some significant outcomes and the findings are promising as far as drug efficacy and safety is concerned. This review covers the new anticonvulsant agents that have shown encouraging activities and less neurotoxicity. A detailed pharmacology and pathophysiology of different types of epilepsy is described here with the structural classification of most active agents. The new structural classes of compounds may prove as lead molecules and good candidates for the future investigations.

Keywords: Epilepsy, seizures, GABA, anticonvulsants, semicarbazones, benzodiazepines, barbiturates, quinazolines