This Article Full Text (PDF) References Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Services Email this article to a friend Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Add to Saved Citations Download to citation manager Request Permissions Request Reprints Add to My Marked Citations Citing Articles Citing Articles via HighWire Citing Articles via Google Scholar Citing Articles via Scopus Google Scholar Articles by Willis, J. Articles by Rice, J. Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Willis, J. Articles by Rice, J. Social Bookmarking                         What's this?

Barbiturate Anticonvulsants: A Neuropsychological and Quantitative Electroencephalographic Study

Department of Psychiatry and Neurology, Tulane University Medical School

Arden Nelson, PhD

Department of Psychiatry and Neurology, Tulane University Medical School

F. William Black, PhD

Department of Psychiatry and Neurology, Tulane University Medical School

Alicia Borges, BA

Department of Psychiatry and Neurology, Tulane University Medical School

Arthur An, MD

Department of Psychiatry and Neurology Tulane University Medical School

Janet Rice, PhD

Department of Biostatistics and Epidemiology, Tulane University School of Public Health, New Orleans, LA

We studied 11 epileptic children aged 7 to 14 years with quantitative electroencephalographic (EEG) and neuropsychological tests, both on and off the barbiturate anticonvulsants phenobarbital and mephobarbital, comparing them to 13 controls matched for age and IQ who received testing at similar intervals. Neuropsychological tests employed were the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children-Revised (WISC-R), Bender-Gestalt, controlled oral word association test (COWAT), selected subtests of the Wechsler Memory Scale-Revised, Purdue Peg Board, Stroop Test, Trail Making Test, Wide Range Achievement Test-Revised, and Achenbach Behavior Rating Scale. There was no difference between on- and off-drug quantitative EEG in percentage power of any frequency band between 0.6 and 32 Hz. Neuropsychological data from all 11 subjects were analyzed with a two-factor analysis of variance with repeated measures on the time factor. The only difference from controls was on the Stroop Test. Parents reported clear behavioral changes in 6 of 11 subjects, but in 4 of these children the behavioral changes were sufficiently mild that parents chose to continue the barbiturate anticonvulsants: irritability, oppositional attitude, and overactivity were described. Mephobarbital was reported by parents to cause less severe problems than phenobarbital in subjects who had taken both barbiturate anticonvulsants. Barbiturate anticonvulsants have no effect on quantitative EEG and limited effects on neuropsychological tests in school-aged children. (J Child Neurol 1997;12:169-171).

Journal of Child Neurology, Vol. 12, No. 3, 169-171 (1997)
DOI: 10.1177/088307389701200303


CiteULike    Complore    Connotea    Del.icio.us    Digg    Reddit    Technorati    Twitter    What's this?

This article has been cited by other articles:

				T. A. Glauser Behavioral and Psychiatric Adverse Events Associated With Antiepileptic Drugs Commonly Used in Pediatric Patients J Child Neurol, August 1, 2004; 19(1_suppl): S25 - S38. [Abstract] [PDF]

				T. A. Glauser Behavioral and Psychiatric Adverse Events Associated With Antiepileptic Drugs Commonly Used in Pediatric Patients J Child Neurol, January 1, 2004; 19(1_suppl): S25 - S38. [Abstract] [PDF]