Abstract
About 70% of children with new-onset epilepsy have the potential to become seizure-free
on antiepileptic drug (AED) monotherapy with appropriately selected first-line medication.
In ideal world, physician is expected to achieve best possible seizure control without
impacting the quality of life. There is rapid increase in number of AEDs available
over last couple of decades. Although not necessarily all of them are superior to
old generation drugs in terms of seizure control, certainly there is change in landscape
from perspective of tolerability and side-effect profile. Physicians must therefore
be familiar with safety, tolerability, therapeutic effects, synergistic combinations
as well as AEDs to avoid in specific circumstances. The article attempts to give general
overview of available AEDs under broad umbrella of effectiveness against focal and
generalized seizures as well as drugs with “broad spectrum.” The emergence of newer
AEDs with broad spectrum and favorable side-effect profile is welcome. However, the
future lies in better understanding of underlying diverse pathophysiology of clinical
symptom “epilepsy” and developing new compounds acting on molecular targets as well
as individualizing therapy. Technological advances in molecular genetics research
are bringing precision medicine to the fore.
Keywords
epilepsy - generalized seizures - focal seizures - antiepileptic drug
