Abstract
The risk that antiepileptic drugs may cause damage to the peripheral nervous system led us to investigate 12 patients on carbamazepine and 12 patients on phenobarbital with the thermal threshold test. The heat and cold thresholds were measured at the ankle and wrist and, compared with those in 30 healthy subjects, they proved to be significantly higher. When the two groups of epileptics were compared separately with the controls, their thresholds were always higher. These findings are consistent with a toxic effect of both drugs on fine peripheral nerve fibers.
Sommario
La possibilità che i farmaci antiepilettici (AED) possano determinare un danno sul sistema Nervoso Periferico è controversa. Il Thermal Threshold Test (TTT) è un metodo estesiometrico per la valutazione delle soglie termiche per il freddo e il caldo, in grado di studiare la funzionalità delle fibre sottili Aδ e C. Abbiamo studiato 24 pazienti epilettici in terapia con CBZ e 12 con PB. Abbiamo valutato le soglie per il caldo e il freddo alla caviglia e al polso. I risultati furono confrontati con quelli di 30 soggetti sani. Le soglie termiche per il caldo e il freddo erano significatamente più alte in pazienti epilettici che nei controlli.
Anche considerando separatamente i 12 pazienti in CBZ e i 12 in PB le soglie erano sempre più alte rispetto a quelle del gruppo di controllo.
I dati sono compatibili con un effetto tossico della CBZ e del PB sul nervo periferico a livello di fibre sottili.
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Baldini, S., Carenini, L., Leone, M. et al. Peripheral neuropathy caused by antiepileptic drugs. Neurophysiological study of the A δ and C fibers. Ital J Neuro Sci 13, 233–238 (1992). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02224395
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02224395