Efficacy of carbamazepine and valproate as monotherapy for early epilepsy and single seizures.

Author(s): Marson AG, Williamson PR, Taylor S, Maguire M, Chadwick DW

Affiliation(s): Division of Neurological Science, Clinical Sciences Centre for Research and Education, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, L9 7LJ, UK. a.g.marson@liv.ac.uk

Publication date & source: 2006-11-28, Neurology., 67(10):1872-5.

Publication type: Clinical Trial; Multicenter Study; Randomized Controlled Trial

In the Multi-Centre Study of Early Epilepsy and Single Seizures (MESS), patients were randomly allocated to immediate or delayed antiepileptic drug treatment. For time to first seizure recurrence, MESS provides strong evidence of an effect for carbamazepine as monotherapy but mixed evidence of an effect for valproate.