Background: Many drugs with central nervous system effects  can alter patterns of sleep and wakefulness. Most antiepileptics (AEDs) give rise to consolidation of sleep in epileptic patients.  Because most of the major AEDs are used for bipolar affective disorders and neuropathic pain, there are emerging opportunities to study these drugs in a variety of populations in which the effects of epilepsy on sleep are absent. Aim of the work: To  assess whether antiepileptic  drugs exampliefied by (carbamazepine and valproate) have a  direct independent role on sleep parameters  in  non-epileptic patients, or its effect is only secondary to control of epilepsy as previously described in epileptic patients. Subjects and Methods: We studied 60 patients. They were divided equally into two groups; group (1):  diabetic neuropathy, and group (2): patients with bipolar affective disorders, without psychosis. Each group was subdivided into two subgroups for therapeutic purpose. Twenty healthy subjects were selected as a control group. All patients were subjected to an overnight polysomnographic study (PSG). The PSG assessment was repeated for all patients after one month from the treatment. Results: Carbamazepine or valproate monotherapy for one month was found to improve sleep continuity and increase the depth of sleep in both groups. Valproate monotherapy increase the REM latency in both groups. Therapy with either drug for one month was found to decrease periodic limb movement (PLM) index. Conclusion: Our study supports  the assertion that antiepileptic drugs exampliefied by (carbamazepine and valproate) have a role in sleep normalization in non-epileptic, and can be used independently to improve sleep quality and quantity in other neuropsychiatric disorders  such as pain, depression, and PLM.

(Egypt J. Neurol. Psychiat. Neurosurg., 2004, 41(2): 433-442).