Mu/tipi Evoked Potetials in Epileptic Children Using Single and Multipl Antiepileptic Drugs

Abstract

Antiepileptic drugs can cause central nervous system dysfunction without obviousneurotoxicity which can be detected by using evoked potentials. Different reports about visual (VEP), auditory (AEP) and somatosensory evoked potential (SEP) changes due to chronic usage of antiepileptics are present. This study is performed to find out thedifferences between single and multiple antiepileptic drugs on evoked potentials. 30 patients using carbamazepine, 20 patients using two or more drugs and 20 age and sex matched controls were taken into the study. When the results of the carbamazepine group were compared with normal controls it was found that the absolute latency of the first component of AEP and the l-lll interpeak latency were significantly prolonged. When the results of the multiple drugs group were compared with normal controls it was again the absolute latency of the first component of AEP and the l-lll interpeak latency which were prolonged in association with the prolongation of the N20 latency of the SEP. When the results gathered from the carbamazepine group were compared with the multiple drugs group it was seen that the lll-V interpeak latency was prolonged significantly inpatients receiving multiple drugs. These findings are consistent with an electrophysiologic impairment caused by antiepileptic drugs becoming more prominent when used in combination especially on auditory and somatosensory pathways.