Each episode of mania has adverse effects on mental status of patients and their families, so finding effective treatments are needed.

The objective was to compare the efficacy of oxcarbazepine and sodium valproate in the treatment of acute mania in Iranian population.

Oxcarbazepine is not routinely used in Iran for the treatment of mania so we decided to introduce it and compare its effects with the standard drugs for mania.

The sample included 18 to 60 years old bipolar manic patients who admitted in Ibn-e-Sina hospital in Mashhad city (north-eastern part of Iran) during 2008 to 2010. the diagnosis confirmed by Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-IV by two psychiatrists. Patients were randomly allocated in two groups taking oxcarbazepine (900–2400 mg/day) and sodium valproate (20–30 mg/kg/day) and trial consisted 2 weeks for titration and 4 weeks for maintenance dose. Assessments were done by a blind psychologist using Mini-Mental Status Examination, Young Mania Rating Scale, and Clinical Global Impression Scale, and adverse effects forms at baseline and after 3 and 6 weeks.

Symptoms of mania based on mean scores of YMRS and CGI-S decreased significantly from baseline to endpoint in both groups (P < 0.05), but there was not any significant difference between two groups in terms of reduction of symptoms at weeks 3 and 6 (P = 0.872 and P = 0.594, respectively) and adverse events of drugs.

The result of this study showed that oxcarbazepine efficacy is almost equal to sodium valproate in treatment of acute manic patients.