Neuropharmacology of zonisamide, a new antiepileptic drug.

Zonisamide readily crosses the blood-brain barrier and is readily absorbed after oral administration with a Tmax of about 3 hr. The half-life of ZNA in epileptic patients is about 28 hr. Zonisamide has a broader therapeutic range than other antiepileptic drugs. Neurotoxic, hemapoietic, renal, and liver effects have been minimal in patients participating in controlled clinical studies. It is effective in several experimental models of epilepsy and in initial clinical trials has been shown to be effective in generalized tonic-clonic, simple, and complex partial seizures.