Appropriateness of serum level determinations of antiepileptic drugs

Epileptic seizures are one of the most prevalent neurological disorders, affecting approximately 1% of the population in developed countries [1, 2]. Until recently, drug treatment of epilepsy has been empirical but in recent years due to improved un-derstanding of seizure neurochemistry and of the mechanisms of action of antiepileptic drugs (AEDs), drug therapy has become more rational. Nevertheless, it is currently impossible to predict which patient will respond to a particular AED, and which patient will experience adverse drug effects. The only practical way to determine whether a drug will work in a specific patient, is to try it [2]. It is difficult to evaluate the therapeutic success of AED therapy due to the lack of a direct metho