The effect of sodium valproate on sleep, reaction times, and visual evoked potential in normal subjects

The effect of enteric-coated sodium valproate on 10 normal volunteer subjects was evaluated using simple reaction times, the visual evoked potential (VEP), and EEG sleep recording. Placebo, low-drug (500 mg), high-drug (1,000 mg), and withdrawal conditions were investigated. No significant treatment effect was found for simple reaction time nor was there any significant effect on either the latency or the amplitude of the VEP. Sleep recordings were analysed visually and also using an automated technique consisting of simple period analysis. The automated sleep results suggested that there was a decrease in rapid eye movement activity and an increase in delta activity under the high-drug condition. The visually analysed data did not reach significance, although they followed the same trends as those analysed automatically. It is possible that the automated results reflect an EEG frequency change rather than a change in the sleep cycle itself caused by treatment with sodium valproate.