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Gabapentin

  • Chapter
Antiepileptic Drugs

Part of the book series: Handbook of Experimental Pharmacology ((HEP,volume 138))

Abstract

Gabapentin (“Neurontin”) has been shown in extensive preclinical and clinical studies to be an effective anticonvulsant drug, which appears to have novel mechanisms of action. Although designed as a GABA analogue it is clearly not GABAmimetic, although GABAergic mechanisms may be involved in its mechanisms of action. In clinical trials, gabapentin has shown efficacy in patients with refractory partial epilepsy. Because of its simple pharmacokinetic profile, minimal propensity for drug interactions, and lack of demonstrable or reported idiosyncratic reactions to date, the drug may have advantages in the treatment of epilepsy, when used as add-on therapy.

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  1. F. J. E. Vajda
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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Departments of Medicine, Royal Brisbane Hospital, University of Queensland, Clinical Sciences Building, Herston, Qld., 4029, Australia

    Mervyn J. Eadie AO, MD, PhD

  2. Australian Centre for Clinical Neuropharmacology, St. Vincent’s Hospital, Fitzroy, Victoria, 3065, Australia

    Frank J. E. Vajda M.D.

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Vajda, F.J.E. (1999). Gabapentin. In: Eadie, M.J., Vajda, F.J.E. (eds) Antiepileptic Drugs. Handbook of Experimental Pharmacology, vol 138. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-60072-2_16

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-60072-2_16

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