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Effects of Antiepileptic Drugs on Mood and Behavior
Author(s) -
Schmitz Bettina
Publication year - 2006
Publication title -
epilepsia
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.687
H-Index - 191
eISSN - 1528-1167
pISSN - 0013-9580
DOI - 10.1111/j.1528-1167.2006.00684.x
Subject(s) - psychosis , psychopathology , psychiatry , medicine , epilepsy , lamotrigine , mood , psychosocial , mood disorders , depression (economics) , pharmacotherapy , adverse effect , etiology , nefazodone , psychology , fluoxetine , anxiety , pharmacology , economics , macroeconomics , receptor , serotonin
Summary: Psychiatric disorders in epilepsy have a multifactorial etiology, pharmacotherapy being only one of many risk factors, which can be both biological and psychosocial. Two important mechanisms of drug‐induced psychiatric changes are seizure control/forced normalization in psychosis and GABA‐ergic effects in depression. Among the psychiatric adverse events of antiepileptic drugs (AEDs), behavioral problems are the most commonly reported, followed by affective disorders. Psychosis is a relatively rare, although severe, complication. Psychotropic effects of AEDs warrant further research because many relevant parameters related to pathological mechanisms, frequency, psychopathology, and prognosis are not well understood. Behavioral side‐effect profiles of AEDs, both negative and positive psychotropic effects, should be considered in the choice of the optimal drug for an individual patient.