Pharmacology and drug interactions of cannabinoids.

Cannabinoids include a variety of substances, of which cannabidiol (CBD) is the main substance investigated for the treatment of epilepsy, and this will be the focus in the present review. CBD preparations exist in various forms. There are significant differences in quality control regarding content and reproducibility for an approved drug versus herbal preparations.

Clinical experience combined with therapeutic drug monitoring of lacosamide.

Objective: Lacosamide (LCM) is an antiepileptic drug (AED) with insufficient clinical experience in patients with intellectual disability (ID). They often have more severe epilepsy with comorbidities. The objective was to evaluate the efficacy and tolerability of lacosamide (LCM) in patients with refractory epilepsy with and without ID in a real-life setting, taking drug monitoring (TDM) data into account therapeutic.

Treatment and challenges with antiepileptic drugs in patients with juvenile myoclonic epilepsy.

Background: Patients with juvenile myoclonic epilepsy (JME) may have uncontrolled seizures. The purpose of this study was to investigate the use and challenges with antiepileptic drugs (AEDs) and the patients' view of these challenges.

Method: A questionnaire about the use of AEDs, adherence to therapy, and quality of life was given to patients with JME recruited from Drammen Hospital.

Long-term follow-up with therapeutic drug monitoring of antiepileptic drugs in patients with juvenile myoclonic epilepsy.

Background And Purpose: Patients with juvenile myoclonus epilepsy (JME) may experience uncontrolled seizures and challenges regarding adherence. Implementation of therapeutic drug monitoring (TDM) may contribute to individualization of the therapy with antiepileptic drugs (AEDs). The purpose of this study was to investigate how the treatment of patients with JME is monitored and to demonstrate pharmacokinetic variability within and between patients with a long-term TDM approach.

Safety aspects of antiepileptic drugs-a population-based study of adverse effects relative to changes in utilisation.

Purpose: Antiepileptic drugs (AEDs) are increasingly used, and knowledge about adverse effects is scarce based on clinical studies. The purpose of the present study was to characterise adverse effects reports of AEDs in Norway relative to changes in utilisation in various indications from population-based data to elucidate important safety aspects of use of AEDs.

Methods: Aggregated data of adverse effects reported for AEDs in Norway from the EudraVigilance-database (2004-2013) in addition to indication-specific use of AEDs during 2004-2015 from the Norwegian Prescription Database were used.

Nonadherence to treatment regimens in epilepsy from the patient's perspective and predisposing factors: Differences between intentional and unintentional lack of adherence.

Nonadherence to recommended antiepileptic drug (AED) treatment regimens can result in seizure relapse with increased health risks. Nonadherence can be unintentional (eg, patients forget to take a dose), or intentional, when patients consciously decide not to follow the agreed AED treatment regimen. We aimed to determine the extent to which Norwegian patients with epilepsy (PWEs) report taking their AED differently from prescribed, either intentionally or unintentionally, and to identify risk factors for either form of nonadherence.

A summary of data presented at the XIV conference on new antiepileptic drug and devices (EILAT XIV).

The Fourteenth Eilat Conference on New Antiepileptic Drugs and Devices (EILAT XIV) took place in Madrid, Spain from May 13th to 16th 2018. Again, presentations on new medical devices and neuromodulation and discussions on device-related regulatory aspects were included in the programme. The virtual special issue on "neuromodulation" summarises the presentations focusing firstly, on the pre-clinical developments and the difficulties of clinical trial designs for neuromodulatory therapies, including vagus nerve stimulation (VNS) and Brain-Responsive Neurostimulation (RNS), and the use of transcutaneous vagus nerve stimulation (tVNS) as a potential screening tool for determining the efficacy of neuromodulatory treatments in individual patients; secondly, on wearable devices for seizure monitoring through indices of peripheral sympathetic nervous activity, the use of such devices in combination with biofeedback for the treatment of epilepsy, and its potential for improving epilepsy specialist services, particularly in remote areas.

Therapeutic drug monitoring of gabapentin in various indications.

Objectives: Gabapentin has been increasingly used in various indications in recent years. Despite variable pharmacokinetics, therapeutic drug monitoring (TDM) is scarcely described in other indications than epilepsy. The aim of the study was to investigate the use and pharmacokinetic variability of gabapentin in epilepsy and non-epilepsy indications and to further evaluate the use of TDM in patients with restless legs syndrome (RLS).

Pharmacokinetic Variability and Clinical Use of Lacosamide in Children and Adolescents in Denmark and Norway.

Background: The indication for the antiepileptic drug lacosamide (LCM) was recently extended to include children from the age of 4 years. Real-life data on the use and serum concentrations of LCM in children and adolescents are limited. The purpose of this study was to investigate the use of LCM in this patient group in relation to age, comedication, dose, serum concentrations and duration of treatment, and to examine pharmacokinetic variability.

Antiepileptic drug withdrawal in juvenile myoclonic epilepsy.

Objectives: Withdrawal of antiepileptic drugs (AEDs) has been discouraged in juvenile myoclonic epilepsy (JME). However, impulsivity as a consequence of executive dysfunction in JME may influence treatment adherence. The aim of the present study was to assess how common withdrawal of AEDs is in a large and representative JME group.

Psychological distress, neuroticism and disability associated with secondary chronic headache in the general population - the Akershus study of chronic headache.

Background: Primary headaches are associated with psychological distress, neuroticism and disability. However, little is known about headache-related disability and psychological distress among people with secondary chronic headaches.

Methods: 30,000 persons aged 30-44 from the general population was screened for headache by a questionnaire.

Zonisamide serum concentrations during pregnancy.

Purpose: To investigate the change in zonisamide (ZNS) serum concentration and its consequences in pregnant women with epilepsy.

Methods: Six hospitals in Norway and Denmark screened their records for women who had been using ZNS during pregnancy. Absolute serum concentrations as well as concentration/dose (CD)-ratios were compared to non-pregnant values.

Reference ranges for antiepileptic drugs revisited: a practical approach to establish national guidelines.

Background And Objective: Laboratories sometimes use different reference ranges for the same antiepileptic drug (AED), particularly for new and poorly investigated drugs. This may contribute to misunderstandings, concerns or inappropriate dose changes, which in turn may affect therapeutic effect, drug safety or treatment adherence. Therefore, the Norwegian Association of Clinical Pharmacology wished to update and harmonize the reference ranges for AEDs and establish national guidelines for Norway.

Pharmacokinetic variability of valproate during pregnancy - Implications for the use of therapeutic drug monitoring.

Background And Purpose: Use of valproate (VPA) in women of childbearing age is restricted due to dose-dependent risk of teratogenicity. The purpose of this study was to characterise pharmacokinetic variability of VPA in pregnancy, and discuss use of therapeutic drug monitoring (TDM) as guidance to exposure in women.

Method: Measurements of trough total and unbound VPA concentrations before, during and after pregnancy, at assumed steady-state were collected from the TDM-database (2006-2016) at the National Center for Epilepsy in Norway.

Epilepsy in Children After Pandemic Influenza Vaccination.

Objectives: To determine if pandemic influenza vaccination was associated with an increased risk of epilepsy in children.

Methods: Information from Norwegian registries from 2006 through 2014 on all children <18 years living in Norway on October 1, 2009 was used in Cox regression models to estimate hazard ratios for incident epilepsy after vaccination. A self-controlled case series analysis was used to estimate incidence rate ratios in defined risk periods after pandemic vaccination.

Utilisation and polypharmacy aspects of antiepileptic drugs in elderly versus younger patients with epilepsy: A pharmacoepidemiological study of CNS-active drugs in Norway, 2004-2015.

Background And Purpose: Many patients with epilepsy use antiepileptic drugs (AEDs) in combination. The elderly is a vulnerable group regarding polypharmacy. The purpose of this study was to investigate changes in utilisation of AEDs, and the extent of polypharmacy with other CNS-active drugs in elderly versus younger patients in Norway.

Specific Patient Features Affect Antiepileptic Drug Therapy Decisions: Focus on Gender, Age, and Psychiatric Comorbidities.

Background: Patient features, apart from the type of seizures/epilepsy, affect markedly antiepileptic drug (AED) choice and dosage. The present review focuses on gender, age and psychiatric comorbidities which play a leading role in influencing antiepileptic treatment.

Methods: Reviews with large population of patients, controlled clinical trials, observational investigations, experimental studies and experimental reviews of experimental data, where appropriated, were analysed and illustrated to produce the most homogeneous indications possible.

Therapeutic Drug Monitoring of Lacosamide in Norway: Focus on Pharmacokinetic Variability, Efficacy and Tolerability.

Lacosamide (LCM) is a new antiepileptic drug (AED). Experience from therapeutic drug monitoring (TDM) in clinical practice is limited. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the pharmacokinetic variability of LCM in relation to efficacy and tolerability in patients with refractory epilepsy in a real-life setting.

Seizure detection and neuromodulation: A summary of data presented at the XIII conference on new antiepileptic drug and devices (EILAT XIII).

The Thirteenth Eilat Conference on New Antiepileptic Drugs and Devices (EILAT XIII) took place in Madrid, Spain from June 26th to 29th 2016. For the first time, the last day of the conference focused solely on new medical devices and neuromodulation. The current article summarises the presentations of that day, focusing first on EEG- and ECG based methods and devices for seizure detection.

Progress report on new antiepileptic drugs: A summary of the Thirteenth Eilat Conference on New Antiepileptic Drugs and Devices (EILAT XIII).

The Thirteenth Eilat Conference on New Antiepileptic Drugs and Devices (EILAT XIII) took place in Madrid, Spain, on June 26-29, 2016, and was attended by >200 delegates from 31 countries. The present Progress Report provides an update on experimental and clinical results for drugs presented at the Conference. Compounds for which summary data are presented include an AED approved in 2016 (brivaracetam), 12 drugs in phase I-III clinical development (adenosine, allopregnanolone, bumetanide, cannabidiol, cannabidivarin, 2-deoxy-d-glucose, everolimus, fenfluramine, huperzine A, minocycline, SAGE-217, and valnoctamide) and 6 compounds or classes of compounds for which only preclinical data are available (bumetanide derivatives, sec-butylpropylacetamide, FV-082, 1OP-2198, NAX 810-2, and SAGE-689).

Pharmacokinetic variability, efficacy and tolerability of eslicarbazepine acetate-A national approach to the evaluation of therapeutic drug monitoring data and clinical outcome.

Background: Eslicarbazepine acetate (ESL) is a new antiepileptic drug (AED), still insufficiently studied regarding pharmacokinetic variability, efficacy and tolerability. The purpose of this study was to evaluate therapeutic drug monitoring (TDM) data in Norway and relate pharmacokinetic variability to clinical efficacy and tolerability in a long-term clinical setting in patients with refractory epilepsy.

Methods: This retrospective observational study included TDM-data from the main laboratories and population data from the Norwegian Prescription Database in Norway, in addition to clinical data from medical records of adult patients using ESL for up to three years, whenever possible.

Dosing strategies for antiepileptic drugs: from a standard dose for all to individualised treatment by implementation of therapeutic drug monitoring.

This review focuses on the evolution of approaches to dosing of antiepileptic drugs (AEDs) in clinical practice through history. There has been a shift in the view of treatment of epilepsy, from "one dose fits all patients" in the early days to individualisation of treatment. Over the past 50 years, our knowledge of pharmacological variability of AEDs has markedly increased through implementation of therapeutic drug monitoring (TDM).

Comorbidities treated in primary care in children with chronic fatigue syndrome / myalgic encephalomyelitis: A nationwide registry linkage study from Norway.

Background: Chronic fatigue syndrome/myalgic encephalomyelitis (CFS/ME) is a complex condition. Causal factors are not established, although underlying psychological or immunological susceptibility has been proposed. We studied primary care diagnoses for children with CFS/ME, with children with another hospital diagnosis (type 1 diabetes mellitus [T1DM]) and the general child population as comparison groups.