Rufinamide: treatment of seizures associated with Lennox–Gastaut syndrome.

Rufinamide (RUF) is FDA-approved for adjunctive management of seizures related with Lennox–Gastaut syndrome (LGS). This new anti-epileptic drug (AED) adds to the AEDs previously used for LGS together with valproic acid, lamotrigine, felbamate, and topiramate. Its mechanism of action includes preventive the excessive firing of sodium-dependent action potentials, but RUF also exhibits a broad spectrum of action in animal models. The plasma concentration of other AEDs does not change by the RUF. Dizziness, nausea, diplopia, and ataxia vomiting and somnolence are most common adverse effects taking place with RUF. Status epilepticus has been reported, but were uncommon (0.9%). A recent randomized, double-blinded, placebo-controlled trial of RUF in patients with LGS and generalized seizures, including atypical absence and tonic-atonic seizures, showed a 32.7% median percentage decreased in total seizures and a 42.5% median percentage decreased in tonic-atonic seizures. RUF also considerably decreased seizure severity. RUF has been studied as adjunctive therapy for partial seizures in adults and adolescents. In a study of three healthy volunteers, an oral dose of 600 mg RUF recognized high absorption and monoexponential elimination with a mean half-life (t½) of 9 hrs. Excretion was mainly renal (85%) and complete (98%) within 7 days.

Dietary interventions in Autism Spectrum Disorders

Background: Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is a part of Neurodevelopmental disorder. There is still research going on the causes of ASD and how to treat it. Current pharmacological treatment fails to completely cure the primary symptoms and can have marked adverse effects in children with ASD. There are non-pharmacological modes of treatment of autism which includes dietary modification. They are likely to be beneficial to some individuals with ASD and generally have a low risk of adverse effects. Objective: To review various studies on the above subject using Google Scholar and Pub Med. Discussion: Several studies have provided evidence about non-conventional treatment including dietary interventions for ASD. Conclusions: This review provides an overview on the role of dietary modifications, nutritional and vitamin supplementation in the patients with ASD.