ACTH is a treatment used for which condition?

ACTH, or adrenocorticotropic hormone, is used as a treatment for infantile spasms, which are a specific type of seizure disorder that typically occurs in infants. This treatment can be particularly effective because ACTH has anti-inflammatory properties and can help regulate the body's cortisol levels, which may have a stabilizing effect on the brain's electrical activity and reduce the frequency of spasms.

In infants diagnosed with West syndrome, a condition characterized by infantile spasms, ACTH treatment has been shown to help improve seizure control and may also assist in developmental outcomes. The use of this hormone is typically considered when other treatments, such as conventional antiepileptic drugs, have not been successful in controlling the spasms.

Options relating to seizure disorders in a more general sense or other conditions such as depression and neurodegenerative diseases do not specifically benefit from ACTH in the same way. Treatments for those conditions usually rely on different classes of medications and therapeutic approaches tailored to their unique pathophysiologies.