Brookings High School Anatomy students ask their Anatomy questions and research credible sources to find the answers.
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Monday, September 20, 2010
seizures
What exactly is it about drugs, medical and recreation, that causes the seizure? Why would they release something so risky to the people no matter how helpful it would be?
Seizures are always a symptom of brain dysfunction. They usually reflect some degree of interaction between intrinsic factors (seizure threshold) and extrinsic factors (physiological or environmental stressors). Thus, drugs (whether medicinal, botanical, or recreational) can increase the risk of seizures by lowering a patient's seizure threshold below some critical level. Many extrinsic factors (e.g., alcohol, street drugs, and anesthetics) are transient or reversible. Others, especially those that cause permanent cerebral injury, are not.
Both patient factors and medication factors can contribute to seizure occurrence:
-Patient factors Inherited seizure predisposition Brain injury (chronic or acute) Breakdown of blood-brain barrier Hypoalbuminemia, hypoxia Hypomagnesemia Renal or hepatic failure Illicit drug or alcohol abuse
-Medication factors Drug lowers seizure threshold (see Table: Drugs that may lower seizure threshold) Drug causes hyponatremia Rapid increase, accidental or deliberate Overdose of epileptogenic (toxic) drug Drug induces metabolism of anticonvulsant Drug inhibits metabolism of toxic drug Drug shares protein binding with anticonvulsant or epileptogenic drug Physicians should evaluate new-onset seizures in the context of an affected person's overall health and lifestyle. Among the factors to consider are:
concurrent illnesses medications (prescribed, herbal, and over-the-counter) recent anesthesia use of alcohol, cigarettes, or illicit substances Seizures related to these factors may not be manifestations of epilepsy, a chronic disorder in which seizures recur unpredictably and usually without demonstrable triggers.
-Factors in seizure occurrence
ReplyDeleteSeizures are always a symptom of brain dysfunction. They usually reflect some degree of interaction between intrinsic factors (seizure threshold) and extrinsic factors (physiological or environmental stressors). Thus, drugs (whether medicinal, botanical, or recreational) can increase the risk of seizures by lowering a patient's seizure threshold below some critical level. Many extrinsic factors (e.g., alcohol, street drugs, and anesthetics) are transient or reversible. Others, especially those that cause permanent cerebral injury, are not.
Both patient factors and medication factors can contribute to seizure occurrence:
-Patient factors
Inherited seizure predisposition
Brain injury (chronic or acute)
Breakdown of blood-brain barrier
Hypoalbuminemia, hypoxia
Hypomagnesemia
Renal or hepatic failure
Illicit drug or alcohol abuse
-Medication factors
Drug lowers seizure threshold (see Table: Drugs that may lower seizure threshold)
Drug causes hyponatremia
Rapid increase, accidental or deliberate
Overdose of epileptogenic (toxic) drug
Drug induces metabolism of anticonvulsant
Drug inhibits metabolism of toxic drug
Drug shares protein binding with anticonvulsant or epileptogenic drug
Physicians should evaluate new-onset seizures in the context of an affected person's overall health and lifestyle. Among the factors to consider are:
concurrent illnesses
medications (prescribed, herbal, and over-the-counter)
recent anesthesia
use of alcohol, cigarettes, or illicit substances
Seizures related to these factors may not be manifestations of epilepsy, a chronic disorder in which seizures recur unpredictably and usually without demonstrable triggers.
http://professionals.epilepsy.com/page/drugs.html