Jove
Visualize
Contact Us
JoVE
x logofacebook logolinkedin logoyoutube logo
ABOUT JoVE
OverviewLeadershipBlogJoVE Help Center
AUTHORS
Publishing ProcessEditorial BoardScope & PoliciesPeer ReviewFAQSubmit
LIBRARIANS
TestimonialsSubscriptionsAccessResourcesLibrary Advisory BoardFAQ
RESEARCH
JoVE JournalMethods CollectionsJoVE Encyclopedia of ExperimentsArchive
EDUCATION
JoVE CoreJoVE BusinessJoVE Science EducationJoVE Lab ManualFaculty Resource CenterFaculty Site
Terms & Conditions of Use
Privacy Policy
Policies

Related Experiment Videos

Reversible dementia and apparent brain atrophy during valproate therapy

O Papazian1, E Cañizales, I Alfonso

  • 1Department of Neurology, Miami Children's Hospital, Miami, FL, USA.

Annals of Neurology
|October 1, 1995
PubMed
Summary

Sodium valproate, used for epilepsy, may cause severe cognitive and behavioral decline in children. Discontinuing this medication can reverse these neurological and imaging abnormalities.

Related Concept Videos

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by
Same author

Childhood Epilepsy : Current Therapeutic Recommendations.

CNS drugs·2016
Same author

Distinctive MRI features of the epileptogenic zone in children with tuberous sclerosis.

European journal of radiology·2014
Same author

Bioinspired chemistry based on minimalistic pseudopeptides.

Accounts of chemical research·2013
Same author

Treatment strategies.

Handbook of clinical neurology·2013
Same author

Predictors of seizure freedom after incomplete resection in children.

Neurology·2010
Same author

[Training of executive function in preschool children with combined attention deficit hyperactivity disorder: a prospective, controlled and randomized trial].

Revista de neurologia·2009

Area of Science:

  • Neurology
  • Pediatric Neurology
  • Neuropharmacology

Background:

  • Sodium valproate is a common antiepileptic drug.
  • Idiopathic, localization-related epilepsy with centrotemporal spikes is a specific epilepsy syndrome.
  • Severe cognitive and behavioral deterioration can mimic degenerative diseases in children.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To report a rare adverse effect of sodium valproate therapy.
  • To highlight the potential for neurotoxicity associated with valproate.
  • To advocate for prompt withdrawal of valproate in cases of unexplained neurological decline.

Main Methods:

  • Case study of two pediatric patients treated with sodium valproate.
  • Clinical assessment of cognitive and behavioral symptoms.

Related Experiment Videos

  • Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) to evaluate brain structure.
  • Monitoring of symptoms and imaging after drug withdrawal.

    • Main Results:

    • Both patients experienced severe cognitive and behavioral deterioration.
    • MRI revealed significant cortical and cerebellar atrophy.
    • Symptoms and MRI abnormalities resolved after discontinuing sodium valproate.
    • No underlying metabolic disorders were identified.

    Conclusions:

    • Sodium valproate can cause severe, reversible neurotoxicity in children.
    • Valproate withdrawal is recommended for epileptic patients with unexplained neuromental deterioration or brain atrophy.
    • The mechanism of this idiosyncratic reaction remains unknown.