Brivaracetam - A Good Alternative in the Acute Treatment of Trigeminal Neuralgia

Abstract

Brivaracetam - A Good Alternative in the Acute Treatment of Trigeminal Neuralgia Abstract. In trigeminal neuralgia there is brief neuropathic pain in the supply area of the trigeminal nerve. A distinction is made between classic, symptomatic, and idiopathic trigeminal neuralgia. Only a few drugs are available for acute treatment. In the presented case series, we report on five patients with trigeminal neuralgia of various origins who responded well to treatment with brivaracetam. Brivaracetam binds to the synaptic vesicle protein 2A, which is also found on nerves and nerve roots. SV2 regulates the exocytotic release of neurotransmitters, which may explain the effect of brivaracetam on neuropathic pain. The use of brivaracetam can be helpful in the short-term therapy of paroxysmal pain with trigeminal neuralgia. Further studies are required to demonstrate this effect and to rule out a placebo effect.