Lamotrigine Treatment of Refractory Bipolar Disorder

Letter to the Editor

Sir: Lamotrigine represents a new class of anticonvulsant
for the treatment of adult patients with refractory partial seizures.
Lamotrigine is chemically unrelated to carbamazepine
and phenytoin, but is thought to act at voltage-sensitive sodium
channels to stabilize neuronal membranes and inhibit transmitter
release, principally glutamate and aspartate, similar to the
inhibition of neuronal activity produced by phenytoin and carbamazepine.
Further, lamotrigine has been shown to possess
efficacy similar to that of carbamazepine in control of onset of
partial seizures and primary generalized tonic-clonic seizures.