[Value of old and new anticonvulsants in treatment of psychiatric diseases].

Besides the classical application in the treatment of different forms of epilepsies antiepileptic drugs are also used for the therapy of psychic diseases. In the present review the elementary mechanisms of action, pharmacology, indications as well as side effects of antiepileptic drugs are described. Successively, the wide used drugs carbamazepine, valproate, phenytoin and ethosuximide and of new substances which have been launched or will be launched in the near future in Germany such as lamotrigine, vigabatrin, gabapentin and oxcarbazepine, are initially presented with regard to epilepsies, and thereafter in the context of prophylaxis and treatment of psychic diseases. Several uncontrolled and controlled clinical studies indicating the efficacy of carbamazepine and valproate in the treatment of the acute manic syndrome and the prophylaxis of bipolar affective disorders have been presented. An effect on the acute depressive syndrome is, however, uncertain. Because of the strong side effects of lithium and the non-response to lithium in some patients, antiepileptic drugs are an important alternative in treating affective disorders.