BACKGROUND Pathological laughter can be a sign of epilepsy, psychiatric illness, effect of toxins or psychotropic drugs or of structural brain disease. METHOD Case Studies. RESULT Two patients developed inappropriate uncontrollable laughter following intravenous sodium valproate for treatment of epilepsy. CONCLUSION Pathological laughter can be a side effect of intravenous sodium valproate.

A case of Stevens-Johnson syndrome (SJS) following treatment with sodium valproate is presented. A 55-year-old male suffering from manic episode was treated with sodium valproate in addition to haloperidol and trihexiphenidyl. After two weeks he developed cutaneous manifestations of SJS. He was treated with systemic steroids, antihistamines and topical calamine lotion and recovered after a few ...

PURPOSE There is growing evidence that complex interactions between seizures and the immune system shape the course of epilepsy. However, systematic analyses of the effects of antiepileptic drugs (AED) on the immune system in humans are rare. We performed a prospective study on the influence of the widely used AED valproate and levetiracetam on interictal immunological parameters. METHODS 36 ...

BACKGROUND & OBJECTIVES Though newer antiepileptic drugs are considered safer than conventional antiepileptics, the effects of lamotrigine, levetiracetam and topiramate on neurobehavioural functions are yet to be established. This study evaluated neurobehavioural parameters and oxidative stress markers in brain tissue of rats treated with lamotrigine, levetiracetam and topiramate compared to so...

OBJECTIVE To review the result of the infantile spasms' treatment with sodium valproate followed by nitrazepam or clonazepam. STUDY DESIGN Descriptive retrospective study. SETTING Srinagarind Hospital, Department of Pediatrics, Faculty of Medicine, Khon Kaen University, Khon Kaen, Thailand. MATERIAL AND METHOD Twenty-four infantile spasms admitted between January 1994 and December 2003 we...

cally appearing after her HD sessions. At that time she was treated with postdilutional HDF, with 20 l infusate per 4.5-hour session, FX80 dialyzer (helixone, 1.8 m 2 , Fresenius Medical Care, Bad Homburg, Germany), blood flow 300 ml/min, AVF as vascular access. Valproate concentrations were measured before and after HDF approximately every 2 weeks and were 666 8 53 (range 567–750, therapeutic ...

PURPOSE Valproate is one of the most commonly used anticonvulsive drugs. Despite its significant benefits, the teratogenicity of valproate is a relevant problem in the treatment of women of childbearing age. In addition to major congenital malformations, such as neural tube defects, reduced intelligence and attention after intrauterine valproate exposure are reported. Until now the mechanisms o...

BACKGROUND Traumatic brain injury (TBI) initiates a complex series of neurochemical and signaling changes that lead to pathological events including neuronal hyperactivity, excessive glutamate release, inflammation, increased blood-brain barrier (BBB) permeability and cerebral edema, altered gene expression, and neuronal dysfunction. It is believed that a drug combination, or a single drug acti...

BACKGROUND Sodium valproate is a standard drug for first-line prophylactic treatment of migraine. However, little information is available of its use in Japanese patients. AIM To evaluate the effectiveness and safety of an extended-release tablet of sodium valproate in the prophylactic treatment for Japanese patients with migraine by postmarketing surveillance. METHODS This was a prospectiv...

PURPOSE The aim of our study was to detect objective signs of deterioration of motor performance in epilepsy patients treated with chronic valproate therapy. METHODS We examined 14 controls and 15 epilepsy patients receiving chronic valproate monotherapy, who had no subjective complaints related to motor function. Regularity and maximum frequency of repetitive hand and finger movements, and s...