P11-T The Effect of Carbamazepine on interictal epileptic discharges in patients with focal epilepsy

Abstract

Background According to the international league against epilepsy (ILAE) recommendations, carbamazepine (CBZ) is at present considered the first choice medicine in treatment of partial epilepsy with or without secondary generalization, CBZ affect cortical neurons by a variety of actions.The administration of CBZ and its derivatives should be scheduled with due regard to the form of epilepsy, specificity of individual EEG, EEG dynamics and clinical manifestation during the treatment. Materials & methods this study was conducted at Basra general hospital from March to November 2014, (110) patients included in the study. Their age ranges 15–45 years. All patients did EEG exam at the beginning of the study by using digital EEG machine & the records with findings suggestive of IEDs were then independently reviewed. Patients started their treatment inform of carbamazepine (20 mg/kg/day), and a second EEG exam was done after six months. Patients who showed no compliance to treatment or showed resistance to treatment were excluded. Results Out of (110) patients included in the study only (77) patients continue. The results revealed that (68) patients had highly significant reduction in mean IEDs at second EEG exam after six months of treatment with carbamazepine. And among them, forty-two patients had no more clinical seizure attacks during the study time and twenty-six patients continue having seizure attacks three months after treatment. Conclusion CBZ is still effective AED in the treatment of partial epilepsy and EEG is a good tool in the follow up of patient’s response to carbamazepine.