oxcarbazepine / Generic mfg. - LARVOL DELTA

Management Guidelines for the Treatment of Pediatric Brain Tumor-Associated Seizure: A Modified Delphi Consensus Report. (PubMed, Ann Child Neurol Soc) - "Respondents universally agreed to start a patient on anti-seizure medication (ASM) only after their first seizure, with levetiracetam as the first-line and lacosamide or oxcarbazepine as the second-line. Finally, the presence of cortical dysplasia or mesial temporal sclerosis should prompt an upfront epilepsy surgery evaluation. This study yielded guidelines for pediatric brain tumor-related epilepsy established from the opinions of child neurologists specializing in the care of these patients."

Journal • Brain Cancer • CNS Disorders • Epilepsy • Oncology • Pediatrics • Solid Tumor

Validated stability indicating reverse phase liquid chromatography method for oxcarbazepine and its degradation products with greenness evaluation. (PubMed, Sci Rep) - "Furthermore, greenness assessment revealed an Analytical Eco-Scale score of approximately 75, a GAPI pictogram with predominantly green and yellow zones, and an AGREE score of 0.57/1.0, indicating moderate environmental friendliness. Overall, the validated RP-HPLC method provides a reliable, precise, sensitive, stability-indicating, and environmentally conscious analytical approach for routine quality control, impurity profiling, and stability studies of oxcarbazepine in raw materials and pharmaceutical formulations."

Journal • CNS Disorders • Epilepsy

Risks of neurodevelopmental disorders after prenatal exposure to antiepileptic drugs. (PubMed, J Child Psychol Psychiatry) - "Population-wide associations between prenatal AED exposure and neurodevelopmental disorders were largely attenuated in sibling comparison analyses, suggesting that shared familial factors may explain much of the observed risk. These findings support careful individualized prescribing during pregnancy while highlighting the need for further research on specific AEDs and exposure windows."

Journal • ADHD (Impulsive Aggression) • Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder • Autism Spectrum Disorder • CNS Disorders • Developmental Disorders • Genetic Disorders • Mental Retardation • Psychiatry

Management of syndrome of inappropriate antidiuretic hormone secretion in outpatients (PubMed, Nutr Hosp) - "oral urea stands out as the only fully effective, safe, and well-tolerated medium- and long-term therapeutic strategy available for managing outpatient SIADH."

Journal • Cardiovascular • CNS Disorders • Epilepsy • Heart Failure

Gestational Changes in Antiseizure Medication Concentrations and the Impact of Polytherapy: A Prospective Multicenter Cohort Study in China. (PubMed, Neurology) - P=N/A | "Pregnancy was the primary driver of declining C/D ratios, and concomitant ASMs and body weight acted as secondary modifiers. These findings support individual therapeutic drug monitoring."

Journal • Observational data • CNS Disorders • Epilepsy

Movement-Provoked Paroxysmal Neuralgia Following Longitudinally Extensive Transverse Myelitis in Neuromyelitis Optica Spectrum Disorder: A Presumed Ephaptic Spinal Cord Phenomenon. (PubMed, Cureus) - "Symptoms were refractory to gabapentin but improved dramatically within 24 hours of initiating oxcarbazepine 300 mg twice daily. The clinical phenotype and rapid response to sodium channel blockade support a sodium channel-mediated mechanism, most likely ephaptic transmission, rather than trigger-independent ectopic firing, which remains sparsely described in the literature. Recognition of this phenomenon is crucial to avoid misclassification as relapse, unnecessary imaging, and unwarranted escalation of immunotherapy."

Journal • CNS Disorders • Immunology • Musculoskeletal Pain • Neuralgia • Neuromyelitis Optica Spectrum Disorder • Pain • Rare Diseases

Long-Term Tapentadol Use for Neuropathic Pain in a Hemodialysis Patient with End-stage Renal Disease: A Case Report. (PubMed, Pain Med Case Rep) - "This case suggests long-term tapentadol may be a safe and effective pain management option in selected patients with end-stage renal disease on hemodialysis, though further study is needed."

Journal • Chronic Kidney Disease • Nephrology • Neuralgia • Pain • Renal Disease

MCPAIN: Modality Choice Before and After Failure for the Treatment of Painful Diabetic Neuropathy (clinicaltrials.gov) - P4 | N=600 | Not yet recruiting | Sponsor: University of Michigan

New P4 trial • Diabetic Nephropathy • Diabetic Neuropathy • Nephrology • Renal Disease

Epiploic Appendagitis: A Rare, Often Misdiagnosed Cause of Severe Abdominal Pain (ACG 2026) - "Case Description/ A 55-year-old man with biopsy-proven UP (Mayo grade three), drug-induced liver injury from lamotrigine and oxcarbazepine, esophagitis, GERD, HLD, bipolar disorder, BPH, and cocaine use disorder presented with severe sharp, constant, non-radiating left lower quadrant abdominal pain...The patient was started on ibuprofen 600 mg three times a day with pain relief...Figure: Figure 1: Colonoscopy demonstrating Mayo grade 2 Ulcerative Colitis (left) in left colon on initial diagnosis and flexible sigmoidoscopy showing Mayo grade 0 Ulcerative Colitis (right) in left colon suggesting remission post treatment with steroids and initiation of Guselkumab. Figure: Figure 2: CT A/P showing inflammatory change adjacent to the sigmoid colon surrounding a central fat density in the left lower quadrant (left) suggestive of EPA, which on readmission showed fat necrosis along the sigmoid colon (right)."

Bipolar Disorder • CNS Disorders • Gastroenterology • Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease • Gastrointestinal Disorder • Hepatology • Immunology • Inflammation • Inflammatory Bowel Disease • Liver Failure • Obesity • Pain • Ulcerative Colitis

Oxcarbazepine-induced Stevens-Johnson syndrome with a recall phenomenon in the irradiated field during treatment with immune checkpoint inhibitor immunotherapy (EADV 2026) - No abstract available

Checkpoint inhibition • Oncology • Steven-Johnson Syndrome

ENGAGE: Prospective Study of Eslicarbazepine in Adults With Focal-Onset Seizures (clinicaltrials.gov) - P=N/A | N=1500 | Recruiting | Sponsor: King Edward Medical University

HEOR • New trial • Real-world evidence • CNS Disorders • Epilepsy

Risk factors for adverse maternal‑neonatal outcomes in pregnant women with epilepsy and the impact of different anti-seizure medications exposures on neonatal birth weight. (PubMed, Epilepsy Res) - "Uncontrolled epilepsy before and during pregnancy, polytherapy, focal epilepsy, and gestational hypertension are independent risk factors for adverse maternal‑neonatal outcomes in pregnant women with epilepsy. Different ASMs have differential effects on neonatal birth weight; valproate and polytherapy are associated with significantly lower birth weight. Physicians should counsel women with epilepsy that achieving at least six months of seizure freedom before conception is associated with improved maternal-neonatal outcomes. Lamotrigine or levetiracetam monotherapy should be prioritized whenever possible, and close monitoring should be maintained throughout pregnancy."

Journal • Cardiovascular • CNS Disorders • Epilepsy • Hypertension

Treatment patterns and access among people with epilepsy of childbearing potential in Peru. (PubMed, Front Neurol) - "ASMs were categorized according to pregnancy-associated safety profiles as Lower-risk (lamotrigine, levetiracetam, oxcarbazepine, clonazepam, diazepam), Intermediate-High risk (carbamazepine, phenytoin, phenobarbital, topiramate), and Highest-risk (valproic acid). These prescribing patterns likely reflect medication availability rather than clinical preference and highlight the challenges of implementing guideline-recommended epilepsy care in resource-constrained settings. Given the substantial burden of NCC-related epilepsy in this population, improving access to safer and more diverse ASM options may represent an important strategy for reducing treatment inequities among people with epilepsy of childbearing potential."

Journal • CNS Disorders • Epilepsy

Sodium channel blocker rotation for refractory neuropathic pain. (PubMed, BMJ Support Palliat Care) - "Rotation appeared effective and well tolerated for neuropathic pain where an initial SCB was ineffective or poorly tolerated. Further, in those with the most analgesic-refractory pains, we found preliminary evidence that combining SCBs with different characteristics might be beneficial, for example, combining slow channel inactivators with fast channel inactivators. Thus, we believe that SCBs should not be considered a homogenous analgesic class and that further research into both SCB rotation and dual SCB therapy is justified."

Journal • Neuralgia • Oncology • Pain • Palliative care

Mood destabilizers?: A review of mood stabilizer-associated mania. (PubMed, Pharmacopsychiatry) - "A structured literature review was performed to identify case reports of adults experiencing manic symptoms associated with the routine use of medications with mood stabilizing properties (i.e., valproate, lithium, carbamazepine, lamotrigine, oxcarbazepine, and topiramate). It commonly, but not exclusively, occurs in patients with a history of bipolar spectrum disorder who are already prescribed medications with mood stabilizing properties. In cases of new onset or worsening mania following the initiation or dose escalation of a mood stabilizer (especially lamotrigine and topiramate), this paradoxical reaction should be considered."

Journal • Bipolar Disorder • CNS Disorders • Mood Disorders

Exploration of Drug-Drug Interactions and Initial Dosage Administration of Oxcarbazepine in Elderly Patients with Epilepsy. (PubMed, Curr Pharm Des) - "This study recommended the initial dosages of oxcarbazepine for elderly patients with epilepsy. To achieve the same therapeutic concentration ranges, the dosages for elderly patients with epilepsy may need to be reduced."

Journal • CNS Disorders • Epilepsy

Early sodium channel blocker initiation is associated with better outcomes in KCNQ2 disorders. (PubMed, Brain) - "SCBs, especially carbamazepine (CBZ) and oxcarbazepine (OXC), emerged as the most effective ASMs in both LOF groups. Earlier SCB initiation was associated with earlier seizure offset and more favourable developmental outcomes, underscoring the importance of early genetic diagnosis and timely SCB therapy. We however emphasise that early treatment is not universally transformative and further prospective work, including exploration of targeted therapies and standardised neurodevelopmental assessments, is needed to optimise long-term outcomes in this heterogeneous population."

Journal • CNS Disorders • Epilepsy

Clinical and neurophysiology study of 17 children with epileptic negative myoclonus. (PubMed, Acta Epileptol) - "ENM can manifest as the initial or sole epilepsy symptom in children. The marked female predominance in this cohort suggests that sex-related factors may play an important role in the expression or underlying mechanisms of ENM. Additionally, a correlation was found between the EEG discharge patterns and the specific limb regions involved. Regarding treatment, OXC may exacerbate ENM, necessitating cautious use. Steroid therapy should be considered for ESES cases unresponsive to ASMs. Refractory ENM with ESES warrants evaluation for structural abnormalities, particularly cortical dysplasia. Early EEG and neuroimaging improve diagnostic accuracy, while combined therapies-ASMs, immunomodulation, KD, or surgery-optimize outcomes. These findings highlight ENM's diagnostic intricacy and the need for individualized management."

Journal • CNS Disorders • Epilepsy • Immunology • Movement Disorders • Pediatrics

Drug-associated bipolar disorder: A disproportionality analysis of the FAERS database. (PubMed, Psychiatry Res) - "Most high BD-signal drugs lack label warnings. Drug-induced BD presents distinct sex and subtype-specific risks, requiring gender- and subtype-personalized clinical monitoring."

Journal • Bipolar Disorder • CNS Disorders • Mood Disorders • Psychiatry

Antiseizure medication use in pregnancy and the risk of poor fetal growth in the EURAP international registry: a prospective cohort study. (PubMed, Lancet Neurol) - "In addition to congenital malformations and neurodevelopmental effects, poor fetal growth should be regarded as an important adverse outcome of prenatal antiseizure medication exposure. Risk varies across individual antiseizure monotherapies and specific antiseizure combinations and increases with the number of concomitant antiseizure medications. These findings have important implications for preconception counselling and management, including risk prediction and individualised treatment selection."

Journal • Observational data • CNS Disorders • Epilepsy • Small for Gestational Age

Psychiatric Outcomes of Antiseizure Medications in Newly Diagnosed Focal Onset Epilepsy: From the Human Epilepsy Project Cohort Study. (PubMed, Neurol Clin Pract) - "People who were newly diagnosed with focal epilepsy on ASM monotherapy showed that levetiracetam was associated with approximately 2.8-fold risk of treatment withdrawal compared with lamotrigine because of psychiatric adverse events. Our analysis also demonstrated a better psychiatric tolerability profile for lamotrigine compared with other SCBs. Most discontinuations occurred at significantly lower doses than maintenance therapy, suggesting either failure to reach therapeutic dosing or dose tapering before discontinuation."

Journal • CNS Disorders • Depression • Epilepsy • Mood Disorders • Psychiatry

Microvascular Decompression for Trigeminal Neuralgia Due to Venous Neurovascular Conflict: A Case Report Featuring a 2D Operative Video. (PubMed, Cureus) - "Her pain was refractory to oxcarbazepine (2400 mg/day)...The patient consented to the procedure and to the publication of this report. Institutional ethics committee approval was not required because of the retrospective and fully anonymized nature of the case report."

Journal • Video • Neuralgia • Pain

The gut microbiome and drug-resistant epilepsy: Microbiome-antiseizure medication interactions and implications for pharmacoresistance. (PubMed, Epilepsia Open) - "The gut microbiome harbors a vast repertoire of drug-metabolizing enzymes capable of directly biotransforming orally administered antiseizure medications (ASMs)-including valproic acid, lamotrigine, carbamazepine, and oxcarbazepine-thereby altering their pharmacokinetics, bioavailability, and therapeutic efficacy. The medications themselves can reshape the microbiome in return, creating a cycle that may sustain treatment failure. Understanding this gut-drug relationship may open new paths to personalized epilepsy care through diet, probiotics, and microbiome-guided prescribing."

Journal • Review • CNS Disorders • Epilepsy

Acute effects of anti-seizure medications on network level dynamics: A systematic comparison using multielectrode arrays. (PubMed, Epilepsia) - "Several limitations should be considered, including the use of primary neuron cultures, incomplete maturation of certain drug targets, evaluation of only acute drug effects, and the limited spatial resolution of low-density MEA systems. Nevertheless, our results demonstrate that this MEA-based platform enables systematic evaluation of ASM effects on neuronal networks under identical experimental conditions. Furthermore, multivariate and unsupervised clustering analysis of 44 MEA parameters facilitated classification independent of drug mechanism of action. These findings suggest that MEA, combined with multidimensional data analysis, may provide a useful platform for the direct comparison of ASMs and could contribute to future pharmacological screening and drug discovery efforts."

Journal • CNS Disorders • Epilepsy

Response to anti-seizure medications in children carrying novel or previously reported HCN1 gene variants. (PubMed, Epilepsia Open) - "We surveyed families whose children had been diagnosed with a rare epilepsy syndrome due to mutations in the HCN1 gene. In reviewing their genetic testing results, we discovered five new gene mutations (variants) that had not been previously reported. We also asked which anti-seizure medications had been most effective: they cited valproate and clobazam as most effective, while lamotrigine and oxcarbazepine made seizures worse."

Journal • CNS Disorders • Developmental Disorders • Epilepsy • Psychiatry