A Cochrane review included 5 studies with a total of 1 265 subjects. There were no significant differences between carbamazepine and valproate in the main outcomes: time to treatment withdrawal (hazard ratio 0.97, 95% CI 0.79 to 1.18), 12-month remission (0.87, 95% CI 0.74 to 1.02), time first seizure 1.09 (95% CI 0.96 to 1.25). Time to first seizure was longer in patients with partial epilepsy treated with carbamazepine.
Comment: The quality of evidence is downgraded by sparse data.