In several small , single-site RCTs , valproate and sulthiame were better than placebo for the management of recurrent aggression .
Conclusions : Currently available RCTs do not support the efficacy of anticonvulsants as mood stabilizers in children .
There is some preliminary evidence from small RCTs of the efficacy of some anticonvulsants in the control of aggression and behavioral dyscontrol in conduct disorder , autism , and intellectual disability
Aim : Anticonvulsant medications are frequently used in clinical practice to treat psychiatric disorders in children and adolescents , but the evidence for their efficacy is uncertain .
We conducted a systematic review of published r and omized controlled trials ( RCT ) that assessed the psychiatric benefit of anticonvulsants  in patients under 18 years of age .
The use of sulthiame with disturbed mentally subnormal patients.
Forty-two severely subnormal , hospitalized patients with marked and apparently intractable behaviour abnormalities took part in a doubleblind , cross-over trial of sulthiame , which was investigated as a tranquillizer rather than as an anticonvulsant . Detailed assessment s of behavioural changes were made , with the use of rating scales , by nursing observers . The findings were as follows : 1 . Sulthiame was significantly effective in reducing the incidence of disturbed behaviour . 2 . There was insufficient evidence to suggest that it affected the variety of disturbed behaviour . 3 . Most of the patients had taken part in an earlier trial with pericyazine and chlorpromazine and had shown no improvement ; this suggests that sulthiame may well be effective in cases where other tranquillizers have failed . 4 . The so-called ` placebo effect ' did not material ize . 5 . There were no observable side effects during the trial . 6 . The addition of sulthiame to st and ard anticonvulsant therapy brought about a decrease in seizure frequency in only one of 25 epileptic patients
In several small , single-site RCTs , valproate and sulthiame were better than placebo for the management of recurrent aggression .
Conclusions : Currently available RCTs do not support the efficacy of anticonvulsants as mood stabilizers in children .
There is some preliminary evidence from small RCTs of the efficacy of some anticonvulsants in the control of aggression and behavioral dyscontrol in conduct disorder , autism , and intellectual disability
Aim : Anticonvulsant medications are frequently used in clinical practice to treat psychiatric disorders in children and adolescents , but the evidence for their efficacy is uncertain .
We conducted a systematic review of published r and omized controlled trials ( RCT ) that assessed the psychiatric benefit of anticonvulsants  in patients under 18 years of age .