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Ethosuximide

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Atlas of Epilepsies

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Chemical Structure

Ethosuximide (alpha-ethyl-alpha-methyl-succinimide) is a chiral compound consisting of a five-member ring structure (Fig. 266-1 ) (PubChem 2006). Its anticonvulsant property is attributed to the ring nitrogen situated between two negatively charged carbonyl oxygen atoms (Edwardson and Dean 1992) through the blockade of T-type voltage-gated calcium currents.

Figure 266-1
figure 1_266 figure 1_266

Structural formula of ethosuximide (C7H11NO2)

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  1. Division of Neurology, Barrow Neurological Institute, St. Joseph’s Hospital and Medical Center, 350 West Thomas Road, 85013, Phoenix, AZ, USA

    Chakorn Chansakul & Steve S. Chung

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  1. Chakorn Chansakul
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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Clinical Neurophysiology and Epilepsies, St. Thomas' Hospital, London, SE1 7EH, UK

    C. P. Panayiotopoulos PhD, FRCP (MD) (MD)

  2. Department of Neurosciences, John Radcliffe Hospital, Oxford, OX3 9DU, UK

    C. P. Panayiotopoulos PhD, FRCP (MD) (MD)

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Chansakul, C., Chung, S.S. (2010). Ethosuximide. In: Panayiotopoulos, C.P. (eds) Atlas of Epilepsies. Springer, London. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-84882-128-6_266

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-84882-128-6_266

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