Rain, a 10 yr old boy is having difficulty in learning at school. He has sho lapses of awareness with eyelid fluttering that occur every 5-10 minutes. EEG studies reveal brief 3 Hz spike and wave discharges appearing synchronously in all the leads. Which of the following drugs would be effective but has the disadvantage that it causes sedation and tolerance?
High-Yield Explanation
(Ref: KDT 6/e p411, 412) Diagnosis of the patient is petit mal epilepsy (absence seizures). Drugs effective against absence seizures are: - Ethosuximide - Valproate - Clonazepam - Lamotrigine Clonazepam is a benzodiazepine that can cause sedation and tolerance.