The effects of phenytoin and carbamazepine on the cognitive function of epileptic patients

We made a comparative study of the cognitive function of 60 epileptic patients before and after the use of phenytoin (DPH) and carbamazepine (CBZ). Five types of neuropsychological tests were adopted. Although both DPH and CBZ affected cognitive function, the degrees of their effects were not the same. DPH affected cognitive function in a broad field, including concentration, remembrance, psychological motor speed and mental processing, whereas CBZ had only slight effect on perception and motor speed. It is stressed that cognitive function disorder caused by antiepileptic drugs should be early detected by synchronous examinations of the level of antiepileptic drugs and the neuropsychological functions.