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 semi-structural 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.
Conclusion: Carbamazipine is preferred to Sodium
Valproate when the efficacy of both drugs is
comparable.