The Impact of Antiepileptic Drugs on Thyroid Function in Children with Epilepsy: New Versus Old

Abstract Objectives To investigate the effects of traditional antiepileptic drugs (AEDs) versus newer AEDs on the thyroid hormone profile of children with epilepsy. Materials & Methods A total of 80 children with epilepsy were included in this study and were divided into two groups. Group 1 included 40 children with epilepsy on traditional AEDs, and group 2 included 40 children with epilepsy on newer AEDs. Forty healthy children were also included as the control group (group 3). We analyzed the serum levels of free triiodothyronine (FT3), free thyroxine (FT4), and thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH). Results: Epileptic children treated with traditional drugs showed a statistically significant decrease in the serum fT4 and increase in TSH concentrations compared to the control group ( P < 0.001). Whereas epileptic children treated with newer drugs showed no statistically significant changes in the serum fT3, fT4 and TSH concentrations compared to the control group Conclusions: Traditional AEDs have a significant impact in the thyroid hormone profile compared to the newer AEDs.