Related Experiment Video
Updated: Aug 14, 2026

Treatment Model for Young Patients with Psychogenic Erectile Dysfunction and Resultant Infertility
Published on: May 30, 2025
[Effects of valproate on sexual development]
J V Balaguer Martínez1, M J López García, M Andrés Celma
1Servicio de Pediatría. Hospital Clínic Universitari. Universidad de Valencia. España.
Introduction:
Valproate use in young girls has been associated with the adverse endocrinological effects of weight gain and hyperandrogenism. Furthermore, polycystic ovaries and hyperinsulinism have been described in adult women. In men and young boys, however, the possible adverse endocrinological effects of valproate have scarcely been analyzed.
Objectives:
The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of valproate treatment on pubertal development, especially the possible hyperandrogenic effects, in girls and boys with epilepsy.
Material And Methods:
Twenty-three girls and 15 boys (aged 8-16 years old) who were undergoing valproate treatment for epilepsy were compared with 15 control girls and 10 control boys of the same age range. Anthropometric indexes, sexual maturation, and hirsutism scores were evaluated. Serum concentrations of follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH), luteinizing hormone (LH), testosterone, androstenedione, dehydroepiandrosterone, estradiol, and insulin were measured. Ultrasound examination of ovaries and estimation of bone age through X-ray of the left hand were also performed.
Results:
Valproate did not affect pubertal development in the study group. No hirsutism or polycystic ovaries were found. Increases in weight, relative weight, and body mass index were observed in the group undergoing valproate treatment, but no statistically significant differences compared with the control group were found. Plasma testosterone was higher in valproate-treated girls (0.71 0.51 ng/ml) than in control girls (0.35 0.15) (p 0.001). This finding was independent of valproate dose and treatment duration. Hyperandrogenism was not found in valproate-treated boys.
Conclusions:
Valproate may induce hyperandrogenism in epileptic girls but not in boys. This is an early adverse effect and is independent of the dose used. No changes in normal pubertal development or physical repercussions were found in epileptic patients.
Related Concept Videos
Teratogenicity
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...
Antiepileptic Drugs: Potassium Channel Activators
Ezogabine has gained approval as an adjunctive treatment...
Nonlinear Pharmacokinetics: Dependence of Elimination Half-Life and Dose Clearance
A study on guinea pigs examined the...
Effect of Hepatic Disease on Pharmacokinetics: Dose Adjustments Due to Hepatic Impairment
Psychosexual Theory of Development
The Five Stages of Psychosexual Development
Freud's psychosexual...

