Although antiepileptic drugs (AEDs) are prescribed to nonepileptic patients with a variety of diagnoses, the FDA has only approved their use for a small number of psychiatric conditions. Previous research recommends an empirical trial of AEDs when isolated epileptiform discharges (IEDs) are identified in the electroencephalogram (EEG). The purpose of this study was to evaluate the outcome of treating nonepileptic patients with AEDs when IEDs are present. The sample was comprised of 76 refractory cases from a multidisciplinary practice whose EEG readings contained IEDs. The psychiatrist’s progress notes were assessed to determine the impact of adding anticonvulsants based on parent, teacher reports and clinical observation. The findings found that the majority of the patients improved (85.53%) when AEDs were prescribed. These results suggest that IEDs may predict positive treatment outcome to anticonvulsant medication regardless of age, gender, or diagnosis.
