Stroke Recovery: Keppra's Benefits And Usage

Keppra, or Levetiracetam, is an anti-epileptic drug commonly used to treat partial onset and generalized seizures. It is also used to prevent epileptic seizures in stroke patients, which are a common complication adversely affecting neurological outcomes. While Keppra has been found to be beneficial in treating seizures, its ability to prevent epileptogenesis and cognitive dysfunction following a stroke remains controversial. Some studies have found that Keppra can delay or restrain the development of chronic epilepsy in animal models, while others have found no beneficial effects. The efficacy of Keppra as a neuroprotective drug against stroke has been studied, and it has been found to be a useful alternative to other anti-epileptic drugs in terms of efficacy and safety. However, it is important to note that Keppra may not be effective for treating central post-stroke pain.

Keppra's efficacy in treating post-stroke seizures

Keppra (levetiracetam) is an anti-epileptic drug used to treat certain types of seizures in people with epilepsy, including partial-onset seizures, myoclonic seizures, and tonic-clonic seizures. It is also used in conjunction with other seizure medications to treat tonic-clonic seizures in people aged six and above, and myoclonic seizures in people aged 12 and above.

Keppra has been found to be effective in treating post-stroke seizures, which are a common complication adversely affecting neurological outcomes. A study comparing the efficacy of Keppra with older-generation antiseizure medications (ASM) in the secondary prevention of post-stroke seizures found that Keppra had a lower risk of seizure recurrence than older-generation ASM. The study also found that Keppra had higher retention rates, with fewer patients discontinuing the drug or adjusting the dosage due to ineffectiveness or adverse effects.

Another study comparing Keppra with phenytoin for seizure prophylaxis in patients who had undergone supratentorial neurosurgery found that Keppra had a lower incidence of adverse effects, making it ideal for prophylactic use in post-neurosurgery patients.

Overall, Keppra has shown efficacy in treating post-stroke seizures and is a valuable option for seizure prophylaxis in patients who have experienced a stroke.

Keppra's side effects

Keppra, or levetiracetam, is a medication used to treat seizures in epilepsy patients. It is an anticonvulsant that can be taken alone or in combination with other medications. While it cannot cure epilepsy, it can help control seizures as long as the patient continues taking it.

Common side effects:

• Blocked nose or itchy throat
• Feeling drowsy, sleepy, or dizzy
• Aggression, irritability, or agitation
• Feeling sick, nausea, or vomiting

Serious side effects:

• Worsening fits or seizures
• Signs of kidney problems, such as passing very little urine, feeling tired or confused, or swelling in the legs, ankles, or feet
• Serious mental changes, including confusion, sleepiness, loss of memory, forgetfulness, abnormal behaviour, or uncontrolled movements
• Serious allergic reaction (anaphylaxis)

Other side effects:

• Loss of coordination
• Mental/mood changes, such as irritability, aggression, agitation, anger, or anxiety
• Signs of anemia, such as unusual tiredness that doesn't go away, pale skin, fast breathing, or a fast heartbeat
• Easy bruising or bleeding
• Depression, suicidal thoughts or attempts, or other mental/mood problems
• A rash

It is important to note that not everyone will experience these side effects, and the common side effects should lessen as your body adjusts to the medication. If you experience any serious side effects or if the common side effects do not wear off within 1-2 weeks, consult your doctor or pharmacist.

Keppra's suitability as a monotherapy

Keppra (levetiracetam) is an anti-epileptic drug (AED) that can be used as monotherapy or adjunctive therapy for the treatment of partial-onset seizures in patients 1 month of age and older. The recommended dosing for monotherapy and adjunctive therapy is the same.

The drug is also indicated as adjunctive therapy for the treatment of myoclonic seizures in patients 12 years of age and older with juvenile myoclonic epilepsy and for the treatment of primary generalized tonic-clonic seizures in patients 6 years of age and older with idiopathic generalized epilepsy.

Keppra has a favorable tolerability profile and a low potential for drug interactions. It is well tolerated with a favorable pharmacokinetic profile that includes minimal protein binding, lack of hepatic metabolism, and twice-daily dosing. These features make it ideal for use as monotherapy.

The efficacy of Keppra as monotherapy has been demonstrated in clinical studies in patients with refractory focal epilepsy and in patients with newly diagnosed epilepsy. In a multicenter double-blind, responder-selected study, Keppra monotherapy resulted in a median percent reduction in partial seizure frequency of 73.8% compared to baseline, with a responder rate of 59.2%. Another open-label study found that the majority (82%) of patients remained on Keppra monotherapy for at least 1 year, with more than 50% remaining seizure-free.

In addition, a recent randomized double-blind trial comparing Keppra with controlled-release carbamazepine found that both drugs produced equivalent seizure freedom rates in newly diagnosed epilepsy at optimal dosing. This is notable because no other newer AED has been shown to be equivalent to an older-generation AED.

The most common side effects of Keppra in adults include somnolence, asthenia, headache, infection, dizziness, and ataxia. In children, the most common side effects include fatigue, aggression, nasal congestion, decreased appetite, and irritability.

Keppra's potential neuroprotective properties

Keppra, also known as Levetiracetam, is an anti-epileptic drug used to treat seizures (epilepsy). It has been found to have neuroprotective properties in both epileptic and non-epileptic conditions.

Keppra has been found to be particularly beneficial for restraining seizures in animal models of spontaneous epilepsy, acute seizures, and status epilepticus (SE). It has also been found to reduce seizure-induced neurodegeneration in the hippocampus and other limbic brain regions.

Keppra has also been found to be effective in easing epileptogenesis and cognitive dysfunction following status epilepticus. However, the extent of its neuroprotection is not enough to prevent status epilepticus-induced cognitive dysfunction.

Keppra has been found to be a neuroprotective drug against traumatic brain injury (TBI) and subarachnoid haemorrhage (SAH). It has been shown to improve both functional and histological outcomes after TBI and reduce vasospasm following SAH.

Keppra has also been found to be a useful alternative to carbamazepine for preventing post-stroke seizures, particularly in elderly patients, in terms of efficacy and safety. However, it does not seem to be useful for easing central post-stroke pain.

Keppra's effect on epileptogenesis

Keppra (Levetiracetam) is an anti-epileptic drug with anticonvulsant and anti-epileptogenesis effects. It is used to treat partial-onset seizures in adults and children, as well as juvenile myoclonic epilepsy and primary generalized tonic-clonic seizures. Levetiracetam works by decreasing abnormal excitement in the brain.

The exact mechanism of Levetiracetam's anti-epileptogenesis effect is not yet fully understood. However, studies suggest that it may be related to its ability to modulate neurotransmitters via SV2A, a component factor of the synaptic vesicle. By changing the volume of discharge of neurotransmitters from the pre-synaptic cell to the synaptic cleft, Levetiracetam causes post-synaptic neurons to undergo neuro-maturation, which leads to the pruning of the aberrant excitable neural network and, ultimately, the prevention of epileptogenesis.

In adult male Noda epileptic rats, Levetiracetam treatment resulted in a significant increase in the Bax/Bcl-2 mRNA expression ratio in the prefrontal cortex compared to the control group. This suggests that the anti-epileptogenesis mechanism of Levetiracetam may involve the regulation of apoptosis.

Furthermore, Levetiracetam has been found to have both anticonvulsant efficacy and antiepileptogenic action in animal models, such as the spontaneous epileptic rat (SER). In these models, Levetiracetam pretreatment maintained anticonvulsant efficacy when stopping treatment, and decreased the number and duration of seizures even after treatment cessation.

While the exact mechanism of Levetiracetam's effect on epileptogenesis is still being elucidated, its ability to prevent epileptogenesis and treat seizures makes it a valuable medication for patients with epilepsy.

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