EFFECTS OF CHRONIC USE OF CARBAMAZEPINE AND VALPROATE ON COGNITIVE-PROCESSES

We investigated effects on cognitive processes of chronic use of carbamazepine (CBZ) and valproate (VPA) in a group of young patients with epilepsy. Scores on various neuropsychological tests were obtained from patients treated with two monotherapy regimens, one involving CBZ and one involving VPA. In general, the cognitive profile of the two antiepileptic drugs (AEDs) was the same, except for some attention and memory aspects on which the VPA subjects scored better and for some motor tests which the CBZ group performed faster. The latter finding is in accord with results of studies reporting an increase in motor speed induced by CBZ. Furthermore, the observed impairments caused by both CBZ and VPA were relatively mild as compared with those caused by traditional AEDs such as phenytoin (PHT) and phenobarbital (PB).