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Anticonvulsant Agents: Cannabidiol and Fenfluramine

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NeuroPsychopharmacotherapy

Abstract

Developmental and epileptic encephalopathies (DEEs) are a rarely occurring heterogeneous group of devastating epilepsy syndromes that occur in childhood and have the characteristics of cognitive dysfunction, pharmacoresistant seizures, and a poor prognosis. Dravet syndrome (DS) is a well-established DEE and is characterized by early onset of treatment-refractory seizures alongside impairments to cognition, behavior, and motor control. Even when multiple conventional anti-seizure medications are administered, seizures are still difficult to control, and there is an increasing need for tolerable and effective treatments. This also applies to Lennox–Gastaut syndrome (LGS), which involves a heterogenous group of etiologies where there is no single genetic cause and which may also include structural brain damage. This literature review highlights the recent therapeutic changes of DS and LGS and summarizes the latest evidence-based research, including pivotal data from the clinical development of cannabidiol and fenfluramine. Both drugs are generally well tolerated and efficacious and may be a route to advances in DEE treatments.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Epilepsy Center Frankfurt Rhine-Main, Goethe-University Frankfurt, Frankfurt am Main, Germany

    Adam Strzelczyk, Katharina Frey, Felix Rosenow & Susanne Schubert-Bast

Authors
  1. Adam Strzelczyk
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  2. Katharina Frey
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  3. Felix Rosenow
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  4. Susanne Schubert-Bast
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Adam Strzelczyk .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

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

    Peter Riederer

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

    Gerd Laux

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

    Toshiharu Nagatsu

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

    Weidong Le

  5. WĂĽrzburg, Bayern, Germany

    Christian Riederer

Section Editor information

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

    Christian E. Elger FRCP

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Strzelczyk, A., Frey, K., Rosenow, F., Schubert-Bast, S. (2022). Anticonvulsant Agents: Cannabidiol and Fenfluramine. In: Riederer, P., Laux, G., Nagatsu, T., Le, W., Riederer, C. (eds) NeuroPsychopharmacotherapy. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-56015-1_467-1

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-56015-1_467-1

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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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