All anti epileptic drugs reduce seizure or convulsion in epileptic patients. But their use to reduce convulsion in non epileptic patient are rare. but why?
It is not surprising to hear that convulsions/seizures will also occur in non-epileptic patients. While the agencies like epilepsy society UK are classifying even syncopal episode as a seizure attack, it can be implied that many of us will have seizures at least once in a life time. Non-epileptic seizures are usually paroxysmal and has a myriad of causes. They may appear either due to physiological factors like hypoglycemia or due to psychological factors. I believe that the physician's approach to treat this condition would be by manipulating the cause and not by treating the symptom. Also, the research indicates that Non-epileptic seizures (NES) seems to be refractory to treatment with AEDs, which might be due to difference in pathophysiology of NES. Hence, AEDs will have limited application in treating NES.
In my opinion AED can be used, but should never be used in non-epileptic cases, except ballism or choreatic myoclonias.
The attachment shows an example of the failure: a high AED dosis, given to a young man suffering fom dissociative disorder ("arc de cercle") and status pseudoepilepticus. The result has been phenytoin intoxication, final diagnosis of epilepsy (!) - and pension.