Antiepileptic Actions of Benzodiazepines

Benzodiazepines are among the most potent and efficacious compounds ever discovered for anticonvulsant action. This includes the 1,4 benzodiazepines such as diazepam and clonazepam and the 1,5 benzodiazepines such as clobazam. This includes the 1,4 benzodiazepines such as diazepam and clonazepam and the 1,5 benzodiazepines such as clobazam. The use of benzodiazepines as antiepileptics is described in later chapters, which should be consulted for drug names, structures, and treatment details. Benzodiazepines have shown some success in adjunct therapy for refractory partial epilepsy and refractory generalized seizures. The activity of benzodiazepines as anticonvulsants against a variety of seizure types, e.g., maximal electroshock, pentylenetetrazole, picrotoxin, bicuculline, and kindled seizures decreases over a period of weeks, i.e., tolerance develops to the anticonvulsant action. The central nervous system depressant activity of benzodiazepines had been considered for many years to involve enhancement of inhibitory synaptic transmission rather than blockade of action potentials or of excitatory synaptic transmission.