Psychiatric Squele of Sodium Valproate Versus Carbamazipine in Patients with Primary Generalized Epilepsy

Abstract

Background: psychiatric and behavioral side effects are
common in patients with epilepsy and it may represent an
intrinsic feature of the disease itself or a side effect of the
antiepileptic use. Our aim in the present study is to assess
the psychiatric side effects of Sodium Valproate and
Carbamazipine .as these drugs are the most commonly
used antiepileptic drugs in Iraq.
Methods: 80 patients with primary generalized epilepsy
on Carbamazipine and 50 patients on Sodium Valproate
were enrolled in the present study; all the patients were
assessed for any psychological disturbances using semistructural interview based on the tenth edition of the
international classification of the diseases(ICD 10)
adopted by WHO.
Results: thirty percent of patients taking Sodium
Valproate and (9%) of patients taking Carbamazipine
were found to have depression while (16%) of patients
taking Sodium Valproate and (20%) of patients taking
Carbamazipine were found to have anxiety. There were
no reported psychosis, suicidal attempts, cognitive deficit
and mania in both groups of patients in the present study.
Discussion: Carbamazipine is associated with lower rates
of psychological side effects than Sodium Valproate; this
result may be related to mood stabilization effects of
Carbamazipine.
Conclusion: Carbamazipine is preferred to Sodium
Valproate when the efficacy of both drugs is comparable.