Effects of long-lasting antiepileptic therapy on brainstem auditory evoked potentials.

The brainstem auditory evoked potentials of 84 epileptic patients in chronic monotherapy with carbamazepine (n = 36), phenobarbital (n = 19), Na-valproate (n = 20) or progabide (n = 9) were studied. The mean values of I-III and I-V interpeak latencies (IPLs) were respectively 2.16 +/- 0.11 and 4.03 +/- 0.17 in the control group, 2.31 +/- 0.09 and 4.17 +/- 0.16 in the valproic group, 2.30 +/- 0.17 and 4.19 +/- 0.20 in the carbamazepine group, 2.17 +/- 0.16 and 4.10 +/- 0.18 in the phenobarbital group and 2.16 +/- 0.11 and 4.12 +/- 0.17 in the progabide group. The prolongation of I-III and I-V IPLs was statistically significant only for the valproic acid and carbamazepine groups. Neither duration of the epilepsy and treatment and frequency of seizures nor the serum drug levels were correlated with I-V IPL values.