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Levetiracetam (ucb L059; Keppra™) is a novel antiepileptic drug. Its effects on action potential generation and voltage-operated potassium currents were studied in acutely isolated hippocampal CA1 neurones from rat and guinea pig, using the patch-clamp technique in the whole-cell configuration. (i) Levetiracetam reduced repetitive action potential generation and affected the single action potential. Levetiracetam, 100 μM, decreased the total number of action potentials and reduced the total depolarisation area of repetitive action potentials by 21%. Furthermore, levetiracetam increased the duration of the first action potential slightly, prolonged that of the second action potential by 13% and decreased the slope of rise by 23%. (ii) Levetiracetam decreased the voltage-operated potassium current. Without effect on sodium and A-type potassium currents, levetiracetam, 100 μM, reduced the delayed rectifier current by …