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Carbamazepine (CBZ) is a member of the iminostilbene family, and it possesses a carbonyl group that is essential for its antiepileptic activity. It has been demonstrated and is widely accepted that CBZ is effective in the control of epileptic crises; unfortunately, there is scattered information concerning whether CBZ can aid in the sleep disorders produced by these crises. Chapter One evaluates the effect of the administration of CBZ on the sleep patterns in a model of epilepsy induced by KA and its pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic correlation. Chapter Two discusses the use of carbamazepine in freediving. Carbamazepine produces the protective effect of hypoxia and prolongs latency for the development of convulsions and death. Chapter Three is a review of current reports on the presence of carbamazepine in the environment, complemented with a general overview of typical (usually low) efficiencies with which conventional wastewater treatment plants are capable of removing carbamazepine from domestic wastewaters. CBZ is hardly biodegraded (the removal efficiency is <10%) through the conventional activated sludge process and the white-rot fungus (WRF) is reported the only microorganism to degrade it efficiently. The final chapter aims to enhance the removal performance of WRF reactor toward CBZ under non-sterile conditions during long-term operation.

Carbamazepine (CBZ), one of the most used antiepileptic drugs (AEDs), was introduced on the market in the early 1960's and ever since, it has become the most frequently prescribed drug for the treatment of several forms of epilepsy. It is also used to treat other pathologies, such as neuropathic pain and psychiatric disorders. This book provides a detailed description of this drug, evaluating all aspects of its pharmacology. CBZ pharmacokinetics is discussed, with a particular emphasis on its metabolism, side effects and drug interactions. Then the authors focus on its pharmacodynamic effects, and the most recent evidence indicating that CBZ-sodium channel interaction is not specific and ligand-gated ion channels are also affected by the drug. The role of oxacarbazepine, its main metabolite MHD, and other new drugs are explained in detail. Additionally, non-antiepileptic CBZ clinical effects and drug-drug interactions in the elderly under polytherapy are described. In conclusion, the occurrence of carbamazepine in the hydrosphere, its fate and the different technologies available for its remediation are also discussed.