RUFINAMIDE IS A TRIAZOLE DERIVATIVE. THE PRECISE MECHANISM(S) BY WHICH RUFINAMIDE EXERTS ITS ANTIEPILEPTIC EFFECT IS UNKNOWN. THE RESULTS OF IN VITRO STUDIES SUGGEST THAT THE PRINCIPAL MECHANISM OF ACTION OF RUFINAMIDE IS MODULATION OF THE ACTIVITY OF SODIUM CHANNELS AND, IN PARTICULAR, PROLONGATION OF THE INACTIVE STATE OF THE CHANNEL. RUFINAMIDE (= 1 MM) SIGNIFICANTLY SLOWED SODIUM CHANNEL RECOVERY FROM INACTIVATION AFTER A PROLONGED PREPULSE IN CULTURED CORTICAL NEURONS, AND LIMITED SUSTAINED REPETITIVE FIRING OF SODIUM-DEPENDENT ACTION POTENTIALS