BEHAVIORAL AND COGNITIVE EFFECTS OF LAMOTRIGINE

Lamotrigine is a new antiepileptic drug that may possess unique cognit ive and behavioral characteristics. Although lamotrigine can produce n eurobehavioral toxicity, it is generally well tolerated. In one study directly comparing lamotrigine to placebo as add-on therapy in patient s with intractable epilepsy, no objective cognitive effects were obser ved in a limited neuropsychological battery. Several studies have demo nstrated favorable effects of lamotrigine on psychological well-being that were not explained by simple effects on seizure frequency and sev erity. In direct comparisons with carbamazepine and phenytoin, lamotri gine has been reported to produce positive effects on quality of life scales of patient perception. In addition, positive behavioral effects have also been observed in two blinded studies and several open trial s for patients with severe mental disability and refractory epilepsy. Future studies with more extensive neuropsychological assessments are needed to delineate the differential cognitive and behavioral effects of lamotrigine in epilepsy and psychiatric disorders.