Research Area: Neurological Disease
Biological Activity:
Phenytoin sodium (Dilantin) is an inactive voltage-gated sodium channel stabilizer. Phenytoin sodium is a commonly used antiepileptic. Phenytoin blocks voltage-dependent sodium channels to inhibit propagation from active electrical foci, an effect more useful for nontoxicological seizures. Phenytoin sodium (Dilantin) acts to suppress the abnormal brain activity seen in seizure by reducing electrical conductance among brain cells. Aside from seizures, Phenytoin sodium (Dilantin) is an option in the treatment of trigeminal neuralgia in the event that carbamazepine or other 1st line treatment is deemed inappropriate. [1][2]