Abstract
Child mental health professionals should be interested in anticonvulsant drugs for three reasons. First, epilepsy is a relatively common disorder in children and adolescents with developmental disabilities and behavioral disorders. Second, anticonvulsant drugs, acting as they do to alter brain excitability, often have effects on behavior, emotions, and cognition. Third, the psychotropic effects of certain anticonvulsants, notably carbamazepine, valproate, and clonazepam, now are utilized in the treatment of certain psychiatric disorders such as bipolar and anxiety disorders, and this psychiatric use may well extend further in the future.
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Vining, E.P.G., Carpenter, R.O., Aman, M.G. (1999). Antiepileptics (Anticonvulsants). In: Werry, J.S., Aman, M.G. (eds) Practitioner’s Guide to Psychoactive Drugs for Children and Adolescents. Springer, Boston, MA. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4899-0086-9_12
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