Effects of chronic high serum levels of phenobarbital on evoked potentials in epileptic children.
We studied VEP and BAEP in 8 epileptic children with chronic high serum levels of phenobarbital. Records were obtained when the drug serum level was more than 40 mg/l and repeated when serum concentration was within the normal range. During the periods of high levels, P2 latency of the VEP was abnormally increased in all cases but one. The mean P2 latency decreased according to the reduction of the serum level of phenobarbital (139.6 msec vs. 110.1 msec, P = 0.002), and a significant regression coefficient (r = 0.546, P = 0.0271) was also noted between P2 latency and drug serum concentration. BAEPs were normal in all cases but one, who had a coexisting high level of phenytoin. All these findings suggest that the pharmacological effect of phenobarbital may be detected by VEPs and may result in delay of the P2 component.
Brinciotti
M
M
Istituto di Neuropsichiatria Infantile, Università La Sapienza, Rome, Italy.
D000293:Adolescent; D001921:Brain / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000503:physiopathology; D002648:Child; D004569:Electroencephalography; D004827:Epilepsy / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000503:physiopathology*; D016057:Evoked Potentials, Auditory, Brain Stem / Q000187:drug effects*; D005074:Evoked Potentials, Visual / Q000187:drug effects*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D010634:Phenobarbital / Q000097:blood* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D011930:Reaction Time / Q000502:physiology
D010634:Phenobarbital