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Related Experiment Video

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Electromagnetic Source Imaging in Presurgical Evaluation of Children with Drug-Resistant Epilepsy

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Acute chorea caused by valproate in an elderly.

Kirsten van de Velde¹, Patrick Cras, Gregory Helsen

¹Department of Neurology, Antwerp University Hospital, University of Antwerp, Edegem, Belgium.

Acta Neurologica Belgica

|December 7, 2011

Summary

Valproate, used for migraine prevention, can cause chorea, a rare movement disorder. This side effect is linked to dosage, with symptoms resolving after stopping the medication.

Area of Science:

Neurology
Pharmacology

Background:

Valproate is a commonly prescribed anticonvulsant and mood stabilizer.
It is frequently used for migraine prophylaxis in patients with chronic migraine.

Observation:

An elderly female patient on chronic valproate therapy for migraine prophylaxis experienced an increase in her valproate dosage.
Following the dose escalation, she developed acute-onset choreiform movements.

Findings:

The patient's choreiform movements were directly linked to the increased valproate dose.
Discontinuation of valproate led to the complete resolution of the choreiform movements.
This case highlights chorea as a rare, dose-dependent adverse effect of valproate.

Implications:

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Clinicians should be aware of the potential for valproate-induced chorea, particularly with dose adjustments.
Monitoring for movement disorders in patients on long-term valproate therapy is crucial.
This finding contributes to the understanding of valproate's neurological side effect profile.