Hatice Bektaşa, Haluk Topaloğlua Department of Paediatric Neurology, Hacettepe Children's Hospital, Ankara, 06100, Turkey ‘Nuclear envelopathies’ are a group of diseases resulting essentially from mutations of the genes encoding parts of the inner nuclear membrane (Emerin, MAN1, LAP2, LBR), nuclear lamina (Lamins A and C; Lamins B1) and outer nuclear membrane (Nesprins) [1) with mutations affecting Emerin, Lamins A/C and Nesprins being rarer compared with other nuclear envelope components. All three have independent disease causing properties in humans, nesprins being the third in chronology. As a historical note, the first emerin mutation was identified in...

Zika virus is a mosquito-borne flavivirus primarily transmitted by Aedes aegypti mosquitoes (Hayes, 2009; CDC, 2016 ) and to a lesser extent by Aedes albopictus mosquitoes. 

Levetiracetam is a single enantiomer, (S)-α-ethyl-2-oxo-pyrrolidine acetamide. Levetiracetam, licensed in 1999, is probably the best of all the newer AEDs1-7. It is chemically unrelated to any of the other current AEDs.

Lamotrigine is a 3,5-diamino-6-(2,3-dichlorophenyl)-as-triazine of the phenyltriazine class. It was first licensed for clinical practice in 1991. Lamotrigine is one of the best newer AEDs, although there are now concerns for its use in women and myoclonic epilepsies.

Lacosamide is a functionalized amino acid (R)-2-acetamido-N-benzyl-3-methoxypropionamide. It is one of the latest AEDs to be licensed (at the end of 2008), under the brand name Vimpat.

Gabapentin (1-[aminomethyl]-cyclohexaneacetic acid) first received marketing approval as an adjunctive AED for the treatment of focal epilepsies in 1993.1,2

In 1993, felbamate, a 2-phenyl-1,3-propanediol dicarbamate, became the first AED since 1978 to be approved by the FDA with the brand name Felbatol. Unlike its dicarbamate analog meprobamate, it has minimal anxiolytic and sedative-hypnotic effects in therapeutic doses.

Ethosuximide (α-ethyl-α-methyl-succinimide) is the main survivor of the succinimides. It was first introduced in clinical practice in the early 1950s for the treatment of ‘petit mal’.

Eslicarbazepine acetate [(S)-(--)-10-acetoxy-10,11-dihydro-5H-dibenz[b,f]azepine-5-carboxamide] is a prodrug of eslicarbazepine (S-9-(-)-10-acetoxy-10,11-dihydro-5H-dibenz/b,f/azepine-5-carboxamide) and shares with carbamazepine and oxcarbazepine the dibenzazepine nucleus bearing the 5-carboxamide substitute, but is structurally different at the 10,11-position. Eslicarbazepine acetate is the latest AED to be licensed in Europe (April 2009) with the brand names Exalief and Zebinix (it will trade in USA as Stedesa).

Clonazepam is a 1,4-benzodiazepine.