Description
Levetiracetamisclinicallyusedtotreatawidevarietyofseizuredisorders,includingpartial,myoclonic,andtonic-clonicseizuresaswellasmoodandpsychiatricdisorderssuchasanxiety,autism,andTourette’ssyndrome.Levetiracetamdisplaysanticonvulsant/antiepileptic,neuromodulatory,anxiolytic,andcognitionenhancingactivities.LevetiracetambindstosynapticvesicleglycoproteinSV2A,amembraneglycoproteincommontoallsynapticandendocrinevesicles.SV2AplaysaroleinCa2+-inducedvesiclefusion,actionpotentialproliferation,normalCNSfunction,andsurvival.AlteringSV2AfunctioninhibitspresynapticCa2+release,reducesexcitatorypostsynapticpotentials,andinhibitssynaptictransmission.ThiscompoundisalsounderexaminationasapotentialtreatmentforAlzheimer’sdisease,asitreducesmemoryandlearningdeficits,synapticdysfunction,andhippocampalremodelinginatransgenicmurinemodelofthedisease.