Monotherapy of epilepsy in women: psychiatric and neuroendocrine aspects.

The aim of the present work was to perform a comparative assessment of the efficacy and safety of traditional and contemporary antiepileptic agents in women of reproductive age. The experimental group consisted of 65 patients, of whom 48 had partial epilepsy and 17 had idiopathic generalized epilepsy. A number of issues were addressed in studies of a larger group of patients (110), including both women (65) and men (45). The following agents were studied: Topamax, valproates, carbamazepine, and barbiturates, all used as monotherapy. Patients' status was evaluated using clinical (neurological, psychiatric), psychometric, neuropsychological, and hormonal parameters. The data led to the general conclusion that Topamax had advantages over the other study agents in the treatment of women with epilepsy.