Pharmacology · single question

What is the mechanism of action of Carbamazepine?

  1. Voltage-gated sodium channel blocker (enhances inactivation)
  2. GABA receptor agonist
  3. Calcium channel blocker
  4. NMDA receptor antagonist
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Correct answer: A. Voltage-gated sodium channel blocker (enhances inactivation)

Carbamazepine (used for epilepsy, trigeminal neuralgia, bipolar disorder) acts by ENHANCING INACTIVATION OF VOLTAGE-GATED SODIUM CHANNELS — specifically it reduces HIGH-FREQUENCY REPETITIVE FIRING of action potentials by stabilizing sodium channels in their inactivated state. This prevents seizure propagation. It's similar to phenytoin in MOA. It is NOT a GABA agonist (benzodiazepines/barbiturates do that), calcium channel blocker (ethosuximide/gabapentin), or NMDA antagonist (ketamine/nitrous oxide). A is correct.

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