Cerebellar atrophy does not increase susceptibility to carbamazepine toxicity.
Cerebellar atrophy (CA) is a frequent finding in patients with chronic epilepsy. To find out whether the existence of CA has an influence on the tolerance of high-dose monotherapy with carbamazepine, we compared the lowest individual toxic serum levels in patients with complex focal seizures, with CA (n = 27) and without CA (n = 20) in computerized tomography (CT). There was no statistical difference between the groups, even after separating patients with mild CA (n = 20) from those with more severe damage (n = 7). In addition, other clinical, EEG and CT data also seemed to have no influence on the individual toxic threshold serum levels of carbamazepine.
Specht
U
U
Klinik Mara 1, Epilepsy-Center Bethel, Bielefeld, Germany.
Rohde
M
M
May
T
T
Schmidt
R C
RC
Meencke
H J
HJ
Wolf
P
P
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001284:Atrophy; D002220:Carbamazepine / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000493:pharmacokinetics; D002524:Cerebellar Ataxia / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000503:physiopathology; D002531:Cerebellum / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000473:pathology; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D004569:Electroencephalography / Q000187:drug effects; D004828:Epilepsies, Partial / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000503:physiopathology; D004830:Epilepsy, Tonic-Clonic / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000503:physiopathology; D005071:Evoked Potentials / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009460:Neurologic Examination / Q000187:drug effects; D009759:Nystagmus, Pathologic / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000503:physiopathology; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed
D002220:Carbamazepine