Advances in Current Medication and New Therapeutic Approaches in Epilepsy

Abstract

Epilepsy is one of the most complicated neurological disorders associated with a brain disorder in which, after an in itial physiological insult, the networks of neurons regroup and communicate abnormally that can be defined as the neuronal hyper -synchronizayion. The affected part of brain defines the patient’s abnormality behavior. Unlike the younger patients, who can become seizure free after the age of 16-18, older patients are hardly able to overcome the seizures, especially once the type of seizure developed to generalize tonic-clonic phase. Globally, epilepsy is considered as a disease which is originated from the disorder of electrical function of the brain and estimated to effect approximately 50 million people worldwide. Pharmacoresistance, drug interactions, drug tolerability and various adverse effects are among the common problems associated with the treatments of epilepsy with antiepileptic drugs (AEDs). Although, approximately 70% of the patients exhibit seizures that can be controlled with most AEDs, the remaining 30% of the patients fail to respond to treatment with AEDs. Thus, looking for alternatives such as traditional treatment methods like utilizing medicinal plants, ketogenic diet, and the Atkins diet as well as self-physical therapy like relaxation and yoga, are all positive options that can be considered as replacement and supportive therapy methods for the medications which are used in seizure control of epilepsy. Medicinal plants are more commonly used by folk for making infusions administered as herbal teas for the pain relief and maintaining good health. Investigating the active components of a plant extract, isolating and identifying their structure and pharmacological effects, and finally utilizing them as a new agent from nature with fewer side effects and high economic valu e is a widely interested topic in the field of ethnoparmacology. In addition to AEDs, which are currently used, the suggested alternative therapies are also able minimize the seizures of epilepsy but the surgical intervention still remains as the last option in the treatment of epilepsy. © 2018, Yuzuncu Yil Universitesi Tip Fakultesi. All rights reserved.