Related Experiment Video
Updated: Sep 28, 2026

Electrophoretic Delivery of γ-aminobutyric Acid (GABA) into Epileptic Focus Prevents Seizures in Mice
Published on: May 16, 2019
Carbamazepine and valproate in the maintenance treatment of bipolar disorder
1Department of Psychiatry, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Ohio 45267-0559, USA. paul.keck@UC.edu
Background:
Carbamazepine and valproate are used in the treatment of acute bipolar mania and as maintenance treatments for bipolar disorder. We reviewed the available data from randomized clinical trials of these agents in bipolar disorder to assess their efficacy and tolerability in the maintenance phase of illness management.
Data Sources:
We conducted a MEDLINE search augmented by a manual search of bibliographies, textbooks, and abstracts from recent scientific meetings to identify studies of carbamazepine and valproate in the maintenance treatment of bipolar disorder.
Data Synthesis:
Although a paucity of data exists from randomized, placebo-controlled trials, carbamazepine and valproate appear to prevent relapse as monotherapy in patients with bipolar disorder. Preliminary evidence of predictors of response to each respective agent has been identified. Combinations of carbamazepine and lithium and of valproate and olanzapine may have greater efficacy than monotherapy.
Conclusion:
Although carbamazepine and valproate have been less well studied in maintenance treatment than lithium, each agent appears to have efficacy in this phase of illness management. However, for many patients, combination therapy may provide better long-term prevention of illness relapse and recurrence.
Related Concept Videos
Mania and Antimanic Drugs: Overview
Antiepileptic Drugs: GABAergic Pathway Potentiators
The key GABA pathway potentiators used in epilepsy management are as follows.
Benzodiazepines are a well-known class of drugs used for their...
Antiepileptic Drugs: Modulators of Neurotransmitter Release Mediated by SV2A Protein
SV2A is a transmembrane glycoprotein located predominantly in the brain, modulating the release of neurotransmitters for neuronal communication. Both levetiracetam and brivaracetam exhibit a high affinity for...
Electroconvulsive Therapy
Antiepileptic Drugs: Sodium Channel Blockers
Sodium channel blockers modulate ion channels, particularly voltage-gated sodium channels. They block only sodium ion movement.
Among the most commonly prescribed antiepileptic drugs are...
Psychosis: Goals of Pharmacotherapy