Q for those with a scientific understanding of Lamictal...

[Wobblez]

I've studied biological psych and I've learnt about how our neurons work. From memory there is a combination of sodium and potassium that come in and out of the neuron to produce what's called an action potential. This is a build up of an electrical charge that generates every single movement, thought, or action we create. Its automatic and happens in split seconds, so we must make millions of these constantly to maintain brain activity. Without action potentials, we cannot do anything!

I was reading about how Lamictal limits the sodium from entering the neuron, and thus limiting the neurons from getting "over-excited". This doesn't make sense to me because an action potential either happens or it doesn't. It's like If enough electrical charge is provided by the sodium/potassium pump, it will happen. It's known as the all or nothing law. So how can these meds work? Can anyone explain this to me please?

 

[Fscene8]

All I know that Lamictal gave me bad memory and I hate it!!!

 

[DayDreamer]

I don't know if the desired information is in the form you desire on the below link
http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20011015/msgs/81778.html

If not there are some good books, most likely at your local university in the premed section on the brain and how it works with our medications. You could possibly search online if you are too far away.

 

[Nakamova]

First off, I don't think even the drug companies can say for sure exactly how the anti-seizure meds work. That said, the assumption with Lamictal is that by preventing a build-up of sodium in the cell (by keeping the "gate" of the sodium channel closed), it prevents it from getting to the threshold required to fire out any messages. This in turn prevents the release of glutamate from the cell. Glutamate is one of the excitatory neurotransmitters. It gets released when electrical signals build up in nerve cells and then goes on to excites more nerve cells. So preventing it's release can help to keep a seizure in check.

To get more detailed: The voltage-gated sodium channels of a nerve cell are made up of a single chain of amino acids with four regions. Each region has contains 6 helixes, and one of these helixes acts as the voltage sensor. The sensor has many positive charges, so a high positive charge outside the cell repels the helix (the way the two positive or two negative charges repel each other), keeping the channel in its closed state.

 

[Wobblez]

Thanks everyone! Daydreamer that link was helpful! I thought they were saying they slowed action potentials, which didn't make sense to me because of the all or none law. Now I understand its more the speed of the transmission along the axon of the neuron. It seems amazing that we can take such a drug and still function relatively normally!

Nakamova, you are so full of good information, thank you for always being so helpful =)