ABSTRACT
Anticonvulsants are the mainstay in the treatment of epileptic disorders, but intense investigation has also revealed that they have established efficacy in the treatment of psychiatric behavior disorders. 1 Interest in their application to child and adolescent psychiatry is now emerging as a consequence of their increasing use, with documented efficacy, in adult populations. Anticonvulsants have shown great promise in many psychiatric disorders, particularly mood disorders and aggression and impulse control disorders, but there has been a significant shift in the choice of drugs used in such applications. In past years, phenobarbital and phenytoin were frequently the first tried anticonvulsants in treating behavior disorders. Now clinicians are more commonly utilizing carbamazepine and valproic acid as the first-line agents, particularly in mood disorders. However, despite the fact that anticonvulsants are being used more frequently for both adults and children, there is much yet to be learned, and further investigation into their role in child and adolescent psychiatry is needed.
