Recent advance in anti-epileptic drugs aggravating seizures and its mechanisms / 中华神经医学杂志

Epilepsy is a chronic paroxysmal neurological disorder characterized by irregularity and unpredictability of seizures. Anti-epileptic drugs (AEDs) are currently the first-line method for the treatment of epilepsy, but AEDs are a double-edged sword. Correct use can control seizures and even cure epilepsy; wrong choices can aggravate seizures and even worsen epilepsy. The mechanism of action includes enhancing gamma-aminobutyric acid (aminohexenic acid, tigababine, and gabapentin) or blocking voltage-gated sodium channels (carbamazepine, oxcarbazepine, and phenobarbitone). This article will review the existing clinical evidences of AEDs exacerbations and their mechanisms of aggravation.