INTRODUCTION: Current epidemiological studies show a prevalence rate for active epilepsy in 0,5-1% of the population. Many forms of epilepsy are intractable to current therapies and there is a pressing need to develop agents and strategies to not only suppress seizures, but also cure epilepsy. OBJECTIVE AND DISCUSSION: The aim of this review was to the recent advances in the physiology of ion channels and other potential molecular targets, in conjunction with new informations on the genetics of idiopathic epilepsies, and current antiepileptic drugs (AEDs). Marketed AEDs predominantly target voltage-gated cation channels (the a-subunits of voltage gated Na+ channels and also T-type voltage-gated Ca2+ channels) or influence GABA-mediated inhibition. CONCLUSION: The growing understanding of the pathophysiology of epilepsy and the structural and functional characterization of the molecular targets provide many opportunities to create improved epilepsy therapies.
epilepsy; ion channels; sodium channel; antiepileptic drugs
