Atypical antipsychotics in epilepsy

Epilepsy is a neurological disease, always associating psychiatric troubles; these last ones can be permanent – unstable affect, dementia, or transient – delusions, hallucinations. Treatment in these patients is often difficult, because many antipsychotics may determine motor seizures and/or electroencephalographic changes.Method:We considered a sample of 35 epileptic patients (21 male and 14 female) with psychotic features, treated with specific antiepileptics and atypical antipsychotics (risperidone, olanzapine, quetiapine). It is well known that DA mediators partially inhibit motor seizures.Results:During one year, none of our patients related any increase of the frequency of seizures. Also, we did not highlight electroencephalographic changes in this period. Clinically, patients were assessed using PANSS scale.Conclusion:Atypical antipsychotics can be safety utilized in patients with epilepsy, ascertaining a good control of psychotic features, without worsening neurological symptomatology.