Comparison of the effects of carbamazepine and oxcarbazepine on peripheral nerve conduction.

Twenty-five epileptic outpatients were studied to assess possible effects of the first 6 months of treatment with carbamazepine or oxcarbazepine using serial peripheral nerve conduction measurements. Carbamazepine caused a small slowing effect on the motor conduction of the median nerve after 4 weeks of treatment, and the effect was correlated with the fasting serum concentration of the drug. Slowed motor conduction value of the median nerve was also observed after 6 months of treatment with carbamazepine. Oxcarbazepine did not cause any statistically significant slowing of nerve conduction.