Keynote address: " Marfan syndrome and related disorders: from gene to therapy " Prof. 3 AED Pregnancy register, UK and Ireland Antiepileptic drug (AED) exposure during pregnancy increases the risk of major congenital malformations (MCMs). The risk magnitude varies by AED exposure. We provide results from the UK and Ireland Epilepsy and Pregnancy Registers, of the risk of MCMs after monotherapy...

BACKGROUND Despite the impact of sodium valproate and dexamethasone on migraine headache, the efficacy of the two drugs has not been properly investigated and compared. This trial compared the effect of the two drugs on acute migraine headache. METHODS This double blind randomized clinical trial was conducted on patients aged 18 to 65 years with acute migraine headache who referred to the eme...

Severe cases of b ipolar disorder often require polypharmacy regimens in order to achieve symptom remission.1 Nevertheless, polypharmacy has the drawback of augmenting potential undesirable consequences. Hypersalivation related to antipsychotic use has been described most frequently as a clozapine adverse effect. We here report a case of hypersalivation associated to concomitant use of olanzapi...

OBJECTIVE The preliminary results of noninvasive brain stimulation for epilepsy treatment have been encouraging, but mixed. Two important factors may contribute to this heterogeneity: the altered brain physiology of patients with epilepsy and the variable presence of antiepileptic drugs. Therefore, we aimed to study the effects of 1 Hz rTMS on corticospinal excitability in patients with juvenil...

OBJECTIVES To determine the prevalence of cognitive delay and possible associated dysmorphic features in children exposed to antiepileptic drugs (AEDs) in utero. DESIGN Retrospective study of children born to mothers with epilepsy. SETTING Regional epilepsy clinics in Liverpool and Manchester, UK. PARTICIPANTS Children aged between 6 months and 16 years born to mothers with epilepsy. MA...

BACKGROUND Prevention of bladder cancer recurrence is a central challenge in the management of this highly prevalent disease. The histone deacetylase inhibitor valproic acid (sodium valproate) has anti-angiogenic properties and has been shown to decrease bladder cancer growth in model systems. We have previously shown reduced expression of thrombospondin-1 in a mouse model and in human bladder ...

This essay was submitted for the Royal College of Psychiatry's perinatal psychiatry medical student essay prize in 2017. The essay considers the choices available to women with bipolar disorder who become pregnant while taking sodium valproate to treat mania or for mood stabilisation. The implications of three options are considered: to stop all treatment, to switch to a different mood stabilis...

Few data are in literature about the pharmacological treatment of conversion disorder and there are not any studies about the use of Valproate extended release (ER) in treating conversion disorder. In this article, we are reporting a case of an Italian woman with a diagnosis of conversion disorder treated effectively and quickly by Valproate ER.