Zonisamide suppresses the tonic phase but not the clonic phase of generalized seizures in developing rats.

Author(s): Mares P

Affiliation(s): Department of Developmental Epileptology, Institute of Physiology, Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic, v.v.i., Prague, Czech Republic. maresp@biomed.cas.cz

Publication date & source: 2010-12, Epilepsy Res., 92(2-3):244-8. Epub 2010 Oct 13.

Publication type: Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

Zonisamide is increasingly used in pediatric neurology but there are no experimental data for immature animals. Zonisamide (12.5-100 mg/kg i.p.) was tested against pentetrazol-induced seizures in 7-, 12-, 18-, 25- and 90-day-old rats. Minimal clonic seizures were not suppressed by zonisamide. Selective suppression of tonic phase of generalized tonic-clonic seizures was demonstrated in all age groups. This effect indicates possible action of zonisamide against generalized tonic-clonic seizures during brain maturation. Copyright (c) 2010. Published by Elsevier B.V.