SODIUM VALPROATE AND MENTAL PROCESSES IN NEWLY REFERRED EPILEPTIC PATIENTS - A COMPUTERIZED EEG STUDY

Seventeen epileptic patients suffering from generalized idiopathic epi lepsy who underwent antiepileptic treatment with sodium valproate (NaV PA) for the first time were studied. The EEG was recorded at rest with eyes closed (EC), during blocking reaction, fixation and mental arith metic tasks. The computerized EEG study, performed before and after th erapy, utilized spectral analysis; data underwent statistical evaluati on including ANOVA and correlation analysis. Before NaVPA therapy, a s ignificant decrease of beta(1) and beta(2) relative power, compared wi th control subjects, was observed in epileptic patients at rest with E C, whereas fast activity increased during mental tasks. After treatmen t, no significant variations in fast activity were observed during tas ks, with a pattern similar to that observed in the control population. Therefore, considering the effect of NaVPA primarily on fast activity , which reflects rather well preserved mental functioning processes, i t is possible to hypothesize that the drug interferes positively with mental activities.