ABSTRACT
The drugs available for the treatment of absence seizures are ethosuximide, valproate, imipramine, clomipramine, acetazolamide, and clonazepam. There is considerable clinical, as well as experimental, evidence that absence seizures are the result of paroxysmal activity in inhibitory pathways in the central nervous system. In agreement with the hypothesis, it has been found that the ability to depress the activity of inhibitory mechanisms is an important characteristic of anti-absence drugs. Valproate is the drug of choice in those patients who suffer from absence seizures as well as tonic-clonic seizures, since it is presently the only drug that is effective against both of these types of seizures. Acetazolamide is a sulfonamide which inhibits carbonic anhydrase. Exacerbation of seizures and development of psychiatric symptoms may occur if clonazepam is discontinued abruptly. Its teratogenic potential appears to be similar to that of the other antiepileptic medications.
