title: Memory and psychomotor effects of oxcarbazepine in healthy human volunteers.
abstract: Cognitive and psychomotor impairments can be unwanted adverse effects of antiepileptic drugs. The present double-blind, cross-over study with healthy volunteers was designed to assess the effects of two doses of oxcarbazepine (OXCZ) (150 mg b.i.d.; 300 mg b.i.d.) and a placebo, each given over a two week period. Twelve subjects completed a battery of tests before and 4 h after morning doses on days 1, 8 and 15. Results of objective tests indicated that OXCZ improved performance on a focussed attention task and increased manual writing speed. Subjective ratings showed OXCZ increased feelings of altertness, clear-headedness and quickwittedness. OXCZ had no effect on the range of long-term memory processes assessed in this study. It is concluded that at the doses employed, OXCZ has a slightly stimulant effect on some aspects of psychomotor functioning.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, Institute of Psychiatry, UK.
authors.forename: H V
authors.initials: HV
authors.lastname: Curran
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Java
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000339:Affect / Q000187:drug effects; D000927:Anticonvulsants / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000494:pharmacology*; D002220:Carbamazepine / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000494:pharmacology; D004311:Double-Blind Method; D004334:Drug Administration Schedule; D004569:Electroencephalography / Q000187:drug effects; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008568:Memory / Q000187:drug effects*; D000078330:Oxcarbazepine; D011581:Psychological Tests; D011597:Psychomotor Performance / Q000187:drug effects*
chemical_list: D000927:Anticonvulsants; D002220:Carbamazepine; D000078330:Oxcarbazepine