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Sivakumar S, Ghasemi M, Schachter SC. Targeting NMDA Receptor Complex in Management of Epilepsy. Pharmaceuticals (Basel) 2022; 15:ph15101297. [PMID: 36297409 PMCID: PMC9609646 DOI: 10.3390/ph15101297] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/06/2022] [Revised: 10/17/2022] [Accepted: 10/20/2022] [Indexed: 11/05/2022] Open
Abstract
N-methyl-D-aspartate receptors (NMDARs) are widely distributed in the central nervous system (CNS) and play critical roles in neuronal excitability in the CNS. Both clinical and preclinical studies have revealed that the abnormal expression or function of these receptors can underlie the pathophysiology of seizure disorders and epilepsy. Accordingly, NMDAR modulators have been shown to exert anticonvulsive effects in various preclinical models of seizures, as well as in patients with epilepsy. In this review, we provide an update on the pathologic role of NMDARs in epilepsy and an overview of the NMDAR antagonists that have been evaluated as anticonvulsive agents in clinical studies, as well as in preclinical seizure models.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shravan Sivakumar
- Department of Neurology, University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School, Worcester, MA 01655, USA
| | - Mehdi Ghasemi
- Department of Neurology, University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School, Worcester, MA 01655, USA
- Correspondence: (M.G.); (S.C.S.)
| | - Steven C. Schachter
- Department of Neurology, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Boston, MA 02215, USA
- Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02114, USA
- Consortia for Improving Medicine with Innovation & Technology (CIMIT), Boston, MA 02114, USA
- Correspondence: (M.G.); (S.C.S.)
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Ionotropic Glutamate Receptors in Epilepsy: A Review Focusing on AMPA and NMDA Receptors. Biomolecules 2020; 10:biom10030464. [PMID: 32197322 PMCID: PMC7175173 DOI: 10.3390/biom10030464] [Citation(s) in RCA: 127] [Impact Index Per Article: 31.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/18/2020] [Revised: 03/13/2020] [Accepted: 03/14/2020] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
It is widely accepted that glutamate-mediated neuronal hyperexcitation plays a causative role in eliciting seizures. Among glutamate receptors, the roles of N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) and α-amino-3-hydroxy-5-methylisoxazole-4-propionic acid (AMPA) receptors in physiological and pathological conditions represent major clinical research targets. It is well known that agonists of NMDA or AMPA receptors can elicit seizures in animal or human subjects, while antagonists have been shown to inhibit seizures in animal models, suggesting a potential role for NMDA and AMPA receptor antagonists in anti-seizure drug development. Several such drugs have been evaluated in clinical studies; however, the majority, mainly NMDA-receptor antagonists, failed to demonstrate adequate efficacy and safety for therapeutic use, and only an AMPA-receptor antagonist, perampanel, has been approved for the treatment of some forms of epilepsy. These results suggest that a misunderstanding of the role of each glutamate receptor in the ictogenic process may underlie the failure of these drugs to demonstrate clinical efficacy and safety. Accumulating knowledge of both NMDA and AMPA receptors, including pathological gene mutations, roles in autoimmune epilepsy, and evidence from drug-discovery research and pharmacological studies, may provide valuable information enabling the roles of both receptors in ictogenesis to be reconsidered. This review aimed to integrate information from several studies in order to further elucidate the specific roles of NMDA and AMPA receptors in epilepsy.
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Aboul-Enein MN, El-Azzouny AAS, Saleh OA, Amin KM, Maklad YA, Hassan RM. Synthesis and Anticonvulsant Activity of Substituted-1,3-diazaspiro[4.5]decan-4-ones. Arch Pharm (Weinheim) 2015; 348:575-88. [DOI: 10.1002/ardp.201500092] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/12/2015] [Revised: 04/15/2015] [Accepted: 04/17/2015] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Mohamed Nabil Aboul-Enein
- Pharmaceutical and Medicinal Chemistry Department; Medicinal Chemistry Group; Pharmaceutical and Drug Industries Research Division; National Research Centre (ID: 60014618); Dokki Giza Egypt
| | - Aida Abdel Sattar El-Azzouny
- Pharmaceutical and Medicinal Chemistry Department; Medicinal Chemistry Group; Pharmaceutical and Drug Industries Research Division; National Research Centre (ID: 60014618); Dokki Giza Egypt
| | - Ola Ahmed Saleh
- Pharmaceutical and Medicinal Chemistry Department; Medicinal Chemistry Group; Pharmaceutical and Drug Industries Research Division; National Research Centre (ID: 60014618); Dokki Giza Egypt
| | - Kamilia Mahmoud Amin
- Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry; Faculty of Pharmacy; Cairo University; Cairo Egypt
| | - Yousreya Ali Maklad
- Pharmaceutical and Medicinal Chemistry Department; Pharmacology Group; Pharmaceutical and Drug Industries Research Division; National Research Centre (ID: 60014618); Dokki Giza Egypt
| | - Rasha Mohamed Hassan
- Pharmaceutical and Medicinal Chemistry Department; Medicinal Chemistry Group; Pharmaceutical and Drug Industries Research Division; National Research Centre (ID: 60014618); Dokki Giza Egypt
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Ghasemi M, Schachter SC. The NMDA receptor complex as a therapeutic target in epilepsy: a review. Epilepsy Behav 2011; 22:617-40. [PMID: 22056342 DOI: 10.1016/j.yebeh.2011.07.024] [Citation(s) in RCA: 143] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/13/2011] [Revised: 07/01/2011] [Accepted: 07/18/2011] [Indexed: 01/02/2023]
Abstract
A substantial amount of research has shown that N-methyl-D-aspartate receptors (NMDARs) may play a key role in the pathophysiology of several neurological diseases, including epilepsy. Animal models of epilepsy and clinical studies demonstrate that NMDAR activity and expression can be altered in association with epilepsy and particularly in some specific seizure types. NMDAR antagonists have been shown to have antiepileptic effects in both clinical and preclinical studies. There is some evidence that conventional antiepileptic drugs may also affect NMDAR function. In this review, we describe the evidence for the involvement of NMDARs in the pathophysiology of epilepsy and provide an overview of NMDAR antagonists that have been investigated in clinical trials and animal models of epilepsy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mehdi Ghasemi
- Department of Neurology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA.
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Ryvlin P, Cucherat M, Rheims S. Risk of sudden unexpected death in epilepsy in patients given adjunctive antiepileptic treatment for refractory seizures: a meta-analysis of placebo-controlled randomised trials. Lancet Neurol 2011; 10:961-8. [PMID: 21937278 DOI: 10.1016/s1474-4422(11)70193-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 220] [Impact Index Per Article: 16.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Sudden unexpected death in epilepsy (SUDEP) represents the main cause of death in patients with refractory epilepsy. No evidence-based intervention to prevent SUDEP exists. We postulated that pooling data from randomised placebo-controlled trials in patients with refractory epilepsy might show a lower incidence of SUDEP in patients receiving antiepileptic drugs (AEDs) at efficacious doses than in those receiving placebo. METHODS We searched Medline and the Cochrane Library for randomised trials investigating any AED in the add-on treatment of drug-resistant epilepsy in adults. We extracted the number and causes of death in patients allocated to AEDs at doses that were more efficacious than placebo against seizures, AEDs at non-efficacious doses, and placebo. In our primary analysis, we compared the occurrence of definite or probable SUDEP between patients given efficacious AED doses and those given placebo using the Mantel-Haenszel method, with exclusion of trials with no event. FINDINGS Data of 33 deaths, including 20 deemed as SUDEP, were extracted from 112 eligible randomised trials. 18 deaths were classified as definite or probable SUDEP and two as possible SUDEP. Definite or probable SUDEP, all SUDEP, and all causes of death were significantly less frequent in the efficacious AED group than in the placebo group, with odds ratios of 0·17 (95% CI 0·05-0·57, p=0·0046), 0·17 (0·05-0·57, p=0·0046), and 0·37 (0·17-0·81, p=0·0131), respectively. Rates of definite or probable SUDEP per 1000 person-years were 0·9 (95% CI 0·2-2·7) in patients who received efficacious AED doses and 6·9 (3·8-11·6) in those allocated to placebo. INTERPRETATION Treatment with adjunctive AEDs at efficacious doses may have reduced the incidence of definite or probable SUDEP by more than seven times compared with placebo in patients with previously uncontrolled seizures. This result provides evidence in favour of active treatment revision for patients with refractory epilepsy. FUNDING None.
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Affiliation(s)
- Philippe Ryvlin
- Department of Functional Neurology and Epileptology and Institute for Children and Adolescents with Epilepsy (IDEE), Hospices Civils de Lyon, Lyon, F-69000, France.
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Rheims S, Perucca E, Cucherat M, Ryvlin P. Factors determining response to antiepileptic drugs in randomized controlled trials. A systematic review and meta-analysis. Epilepsia 2011; 52:219-33. [PMID: 21269281 DOI: 10.1111/j.1528-1167.2010.02915.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 42] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/22/2023]
Abstract
PURPOSE Because of the lack of head-to-head adjunctive-therapy trials of antiepileptic drugs (AEDs) in refractory partial epilepsy, meta-analyses of placebo-controlled randomized controlled trials (RCTs) represent a potentially important source of evidence to guide treatment decisions. However, such indirect comparisons raise various methodologic issues that may hamper their relevance. METHODS All RCTs in adult refractory partial epilepsy were analyzed to assess whether efficacy outcomes are influenced by: characteristics of patients and trials ; use of last observation carried forward (LOCF) analysis; evaluation period (entire period versus maintenance period); and year of publication. A meta-analysis of these AEDs was then performed taking these factors into consideration. KEY FINDINGS Sixty-three RCTs evaluating 20 AEDs were included. The following variables influenced efficacy estimates: (1) responder rates correlated positively with duration of the entire treatment period (p = 0.038); (2) response to placebo was significantly greater in the maintenance period than in the entire treatment period (p = 0.005); (3) responder rates increased over the years both for AEDs (p < 0.001) and for placebo (p = 0.001); (4) LOCF analysis overestimated responder rates for AEDs (p < 0.001) and for placebo (p = 0.001) compared with completer-based analysis, and the overestimation correlated positively with withdrawal rates (p < 0.001). A meta-analysis of available data showed large differences in efficacy ranking in relation to dose selection and type of analysis, but these were mostly nonsignificant due to statistical power limitations. SIGNIFICANCE Several methodologic issues hamper the relevance of indirect comparisons of AEDs in the adjunctive-therapy of refractory partial epilepsy. Some of these issues could be overcome by improved standardization in the reporting of efficacy outcomes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sylvain Rheims
- Hospices Civils de Lyon, Department of Functional Neurology and Epileptology, Institute for Children and Adolescents with Epilepsy (IDEE), Lyon, France
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Guekht AB, Korczyn AD, Bondareva IB, Gusev EI. Placebo responses in randomized trials of antiepileptic drugs. Epilepsy Behav 2010; 17:64-9. [PMID: 19919904 DOI: 10.1016/j.yebeh.2009.10.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/11/2009] [Revised: 10/05/2009] [Accepted: 10/06/2009] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
This meta-analysis of published, randomized, controlled trials (RCTs) of antiepileptic drugs in adults with focal drug-resistant epilepsy was performed to estimate a mean placebo effect, to evaluate variability in placebo response rates, to investigate associations between placebo effect rates and study characteristics, and to determine whether there were changes in placebo response rates over recent years in RCTs (so-called "placebo drift"). One hundred ninety-eight potentially appropriate studies were identified after MEDLINE search and carefully reviewed. Twenty-seven RCTs (with 5662 randomized patients, including 1887 patients in placebo arms) were included in the meta-analysis. A random effects meta-analytic model estimated the pooled placebo response at 12.5% (95% CI: 10.03-14.94%). A statistically significant correlation between baseline median seizure frequency and placebo response rates was not observed. "Placebo drift" was not considered statistically significant.
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Affiliation(s)
- A B Guekht
- Department of Neurology and Neurosurgery, Russian State Medical University, Moscow, Russia
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Borowicz KK, Malek R, Luszczki JJ, Ratnaraj N, Patsalos PN, Czuczwar SJ. Isobolographic analysis of interactions between remacemide and conventional antiepileptic drugs in the mouse model of maximal electroshock. Epilepsy Behav 2007; 11:6-12. [PMID: 17602881 DOI: 10.1016/j.yebeh.2007.04.018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/12/2007] [Revised: 04/25/2007] [Accepted: 04/29/2007] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Using the mouse maximal electroshock-induced seizure model, indicative of tonic-clonic seizures in humans, the present study was aimed at characterizing the interaction between remacemide and valproate, carbamazepine, phenytoin, and phenobarbital. Isobolographic analysis indicated additive interactions between remacemide and valproate, carbamazepine, and phenytoin (for all fixed ratios of tested drugs: 1:3, 1:1, and 3:1). Additivity was also observed between remacemide and phenobarbital applied in proportions of 1:1 and 3:1. In contrast, the combination of remacemide and phenobarbital at the fixed-ratio of 1:3 resulted in antagonism. Neither motor performance nor long-term memory was impaired by remacemide or by carbamazepine, phenobarbital, phenytoin, and valproate whether or not these drugs were administered singly or in combination. In combination with remacemide, brain concentrations of carbamazepine, phenobarbital, and phenytoin were increased by 71, 21, and 16%, respectively. Although brain valproate concentrations were unaffected by remacemide co-administration, brain concentrations of remacemide and its active metabolite, desglycinyl-remacemide, were increased by 68 and 162%, respectively. In contrast, phenobarbital co-administration was associated with decreases in brain remacemide (27%) and desglycinyl-remacemide (9%) concentrations, whereas only remacemide concentrations (increased by 131%) were affected by carbamazepine co-administration. In conclusion, significant and desirable pharmacodynamic interactions were observed between remacemide and valproate, carbamazepine, phenytoin, and phenobarbital. However, the concurrent pharmacokinetic interactions associated with remacemide complicate these observations and do not make remacemide a good candidate for adjunctive treatment of epilepsy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kinga K Borowicz
- Department of Pathophysiology, Medical University, Lublin, Poland.
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Abstract
The licensing of new antiepileptic drugs (AEDs) has led to a marked increase in the pharmaceutical armamentarium available for the treatment of epilepsy since 1990. The new drugs have now secured their place in the pharmacotherapy of epilepsy. The main reason for their success is their good general tolerability (especially with regard to cognitive function), the low rate of drug-drug interaction and the high anticonvulsant potency of some of the compounds. It is fortunate that many of the new AEDs have also proven effective in the treatment of generalised seizures, although they were originally developed for the treatment of focal seizures. However, the wide treatment choice has not solved the problems associated with the medical treatment of epilepsy. In monotherapy, none of the new AEDs have been shown to be superior in their potency to control seizures to older AEDs in comparative studies. Nonetheless, the greater choice of drugs allows treatment to be better tailored to the requirements of individual patients. Now there is a need to study patients whose seizures were not controlled by initial or alternative monotherapy to create an evidence-base for truly rational combination therapy in the future. Additional improvements in the medical treatment of epilepsy may come from AEDs currently in development, many of which use novel or unknown modes of action. So far, however, there is no evidence that any of these compounds will have radically different effects from the drugs currently available, or that they will have antiepileptic rather than purely anticonvulsant potential.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jürgen Bauer
- Department of Epileptology, University of Bonn, FRG, Sigmund Freudstrasse 25, D-53105 Bonn, Germany.
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Abstract
To be approved for monotherapy by regulatory authorities, new antiepileptic drugs (AEDs) must first be tested in well-controlled studies in refractory patients (conversion to monotherapy trials) or in patients with newly diagnosed epilepsy. However, the applicability of the information obtained in these trials to day-to-day clinical practice is limited. Clinical trials in newly diagnosed patients, particularly those allowing dose flexibility, offer more useful information, but a close scrutiny of methodological details is required to avoid misinterpretation of the findings. In many instances, the neurologist has a drug with a label, but lacks critical information on optimal titration rates, optimal target and maintenance dosages, response rates in populations with different epilepsy syndromes, different age ranges and comorbidities, and long-term safety data. Such information becomes available only through general clinical experience, well-designed phase IV studies, and postmarketing surveillance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Santiago Arroyo
- Department of Neurology, Medical College of Wisconsin, Froedtert Hospital, 9200 West Wisconsin Avenue, Milwaukee, WI 53226, USA.
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