A functional polymorphism in the SCN1A gene does not influence antiepileptic drug responsiveness in Italian patients with focal epilepsy
SummaryA splice site variation (c.603‐91Ggt;A or rs3812718) in the SCN1A gene has been claimed to influence efficacy and dose requirements of carbamazepine and phenytoin. We investigated the relationship between c.603‐91Ggt;A polymorphism and response to antiepileptic drugs (AEDs) in 482 patients with drug‐resistant and 401 patients with drug‐responsive focal epilepsy. Most commonly used AEDs were carbamazepine and oxcarbazepine. The distribution of c.603‐91Ggt;A genotypes was similar among drug‐resistant and drug‐responsive subjects, both in the entire population and in the groups treated with carbamazepine or oxcarbazepine. There was no association between the c.603‐91Ggt;A genotype and dosages of carbamazepine or oxcarbazepine. These findings rule out a major role of...
Lamotrigine May Be Most Effective Antiepileptic Drug
Of 10 antiepileptic drugs studied in older adults with epilepsy, lamotrigine -- closely followed by
levetiracetam -- is the most effective, as measured by 12-month retention and freedom from seizures, while
oxcarbazepine is consistently less effective than other AEDs, according to research published in the April issue of
the Archives of Neurology. (Source: Modern Medicine)
