Levetiracetam (Keppra) – Antiseizure Medications

00:01 Let's move on to one of the newer anti-seizure agents.

00:04 It's called Keppra.

00:05 Now, the the trade name is easier to pronounce than the generic name, so I'm not even going to try.

00:11 This is an agent that we think works on a presynaptic calcium channel that affects the way, uh, vesicles are released into the synaptic cleft.

00:23 Keppra is a mostly unknown mechanism of action.

00:27 It may inhibit the presynaptic calcium channels, but we're not entirely sure we know that. It also binds to SV2A, which is a synaptic vesicle glycoprotein.

00:38 So it may also inhibit the.

00:40 It may also change the way that the vesicle is being released into the synaptic cleft.

00:47 Side effects of this medication include sleepiness, which is quite frequent.

00:51 Rarer cases of psychosis and suicide.

00:54 Increased risk can occur with this medication.

00:57 Rare cases of Stevens-Johnson syndrome have been reported, and also rare cases of anaphylaxis can occur with Keppra.

01:05 All of these things do need to be monitored for.

01:07 Uses include focal epilepsy, partial complex epilepsy, and generalized epilepsy.

01:15 That's one of the newest agents.

01:17 I hope this information was useful.

01:20 Good luck on your exams.