Main Entry Criteria. Recent-onset epilepsy

Comparator. Carbamazepine and valproate

Number of Patients. 181

Primary Outcome Variable; Important Secondary Variables. Seizure free, <50% seizure reduction

Results. There was no difference among the three treatments.

Main Entry Criteria. Newly diagnosed epilepsy

Comparator. Carbamazepine, phenobarbital, phenytoin, valproate

Number of Patients. 124

Primary Outcome Variable; Important Secondary Variables. Time to first seizure, time to 12-month remission

Results. No significant differences between the four drugs were found for either measure of efficacy at 1, 2, or 3 years of follow-up. The overall incidence of unacceptable side effects, necessitating withdrawal of the randomized drug, was 10%. For the individual drugs, phenobarbital (22%) was more likely to be withdrawn than phenytoin (3%), carbamazepine (11%), and sodium valproate (5%).

Main Entry Criteria. Untreated or undertreated partial seizures

Comparator. Carbamazepine, phenobarbital, primidone, phenytoin

Number of Patients. 622

Primary Outcome Variable. Patient retention (length of time the patient continued to take randomized drug)

Important Secondary Variables. Composite scores, total seizure control, seizure rates, incidence of side effects

Results. Patients receiving carbamazepine or phenytoin were more likely to remain in study than those receiving phenobarbital or primidone. Overall, carbamazepine and phenytoin are drugs of first choice for single-drug therapy for adults with partial or generalized tonic-clonic seizures or with both.

Main Entry Criteria. Previously untreated seizures

Comparator. Carbamazepine, phenytoin

Number of Patients. 87

Primary Outcome Variable. Treatment failure

Important Secondary Variables. Side effects

Results. The incidence of major side effects, minor side effects, and complete control (85%) was the same in both groups.

Main Entry Criteria. Newly diagnosed

Comparator. Valproate

Number of Patients. 93

Primary Outcome Variable; Important Secondary Variables. Seizure reduction, adverse effects

Results. Both drugs were found to be equally effective in controlling generalized seizures. However, valproate is better in partial seizures. No correlation could be established. Side effects were minor with both the drugs.

Main Entry Criteria. Serious head trauma at high risk of seizure but without seizure at time of study entry

Comparator. Phenytoin (plasma concentrations maintained in high therapeutic range), placebo

Number of Patients. 404

Primary Outcome Variable. Seizures

Results. Phenytoin exerts a beneficial effect by reducing seizures only during the first week after a severe head injury. Phenytoin and placebo were not different in preventing seizures after the first week.