Epilepsy is a serious neurological disorder that affects a wide range of people throughout the world. It is a disorder of brain characterized by unpredictable and periodic occurrence of a transient alteration of behaviour due to the disordered, synchronous and rhythmic firing of populations of brain neurons. Incidence of epilepsy in developed countries is approximately 50 per 100,000 while that of developing country is 100 per 100,000. It has been observed that the presently available anti-epileptic drugs are unable to control seizures effectively in as many as 25% of the patients. The conventional anti-epileptic
agents like phenytoin, carbamazeipine and sodium valporate carry with them several serious side effects notably neurotoxicity. As majority of anti-epileptic drugs are consumed life long, concomitant administration of other drugs predisposes to the risk of drug interaction.
Last date updated on November, 2024