Published Paper Details:

Epilepsy, including syndromes like Lennox-Gastaut syndrome (LGS), focal seizures, and generalized tonic-clonic seizures, requires tailored anticonvulsant therapies to optimize efficacy and minimize adverse effects. This comprehensive review compares clobazam, a 1,5-benzodiazepine that enhances GABAergic neurotransmission with reduced sedation (Sankar, 2012; Gauthier & Mattson, 2015), and carbamazepine, a sodium channel blocker effective for partial and tonic-clonic seizures but associated with enzyme induction and cutaneous risks (French, 1994; Kehoe & Haw, 2020). Drawing from pharmacological, clinical, and neuropharmacological data, the analysis evaluates their physical and chemical properties, modes of action, advantages (e.g., clobazam's long-term efficacy in LGS; carbamazepine's versatility in neuropathic pain), disadvantages (e.g., clobazam's dependence risk; carbamazepine's hematologic toxicity), side effect profiles, toxicity (including teratogenicity), withdrawal symptoms, age-specific usage, and non-anticonvulsant applications (e.g., clobazam for anxiety; carbamazepine for bipolar disorder). Findings indicate clobazam offers a favorable safety profile for refractory pediatric epilepsy (Klehm et al., 2014), while carbamazepine excels in focal seizures but demands monitoring for interactions (Marson et al., 2002). Personalized treatment, considering patient age, seizure type, and comorbidities, is recommended to enhance quality of life and adherence (Samanta, 2021; Strzelczyk & Schubert-Bast, 2022). Future research should address gaps in long-term comparative trials.