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Anticonvulsant Agents: Levetiracetam and Brivaracetam

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NeuroPsychopharmacotherapy

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Abstract

Levetiracetam (LEV) and brivaracetam (BRV) are pyrrolidone derivate compounds binding at the presynaptic SV2A receptor site and thus representing antiepileptic drugs (AEDs) with a unique mode of action. LEV was extensively investigated in randomized controlled trials and has a very favorable efficacy in both focal and generalized epilepsies. Its pharmacokinetic profile is favorable. LEV does not undergo clinically relevant interactions. Adverse reactions comprise mainly asthenia, somnolence, and behavioral symptoms. It is nowadays established as a first-line AED. BRV has been recently introduced as adjunct (AED) in focal epilepsy with a similarly promising pharmacokinetic profile and possibly better tolerability concerning psychiatric adverse events.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Kork Epilepsy Center, Kehl-Kork, Germany

    Bernhard J. Steinhoff

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  1. Bernhard J. Steinhoff
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Correspondence to Bernhard J. Steinhoff .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Dept Psychiatry , Psychosomatics & Psychotherapy, University of Würzburg, Medical School Clinical Neurochemistry, Würzburg, Germany

    Peter Riederer

  2. Inst für Psychologische Medizin, Haag, Bayern, Germany

    Gerd Laux

  3. Department of Psychiatry, University of Toronto Department of Psychiatry, Toronto, ON, Canada

    Benoit Mulsant

  4. Center Translational Res Neurol Diseases, Dalian Med Uni Shanghai Inst Health Sc Center Translational Res Neurol Diseases, Dalian, China

    Weidong Le

  5. Fujita Health University School Medicine, Toyoake, Aichi, Japan

    Toshiharu Nagatsu

Section Editor information

  1. Beta Neurology – Competence Center for Epilepsy, Beta Klinik GmbH, Bonn, Germany

    Christian E. Elger FRCP

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Steinhoff, B.J. (2020). Anticonvulsant Agents: Levetiracetam and Brivaracetam. In: Riederer, P., Laux, G., Mulsant, B., Le, W., Nagatsu, T. (eds) NeuroPsychopharmacotherapy. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-56015-1_301-1

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-56015-1_301-1

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  • Publisher Name: Springer, Cham

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-319-56015-1

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-319-56015-1

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