Editing Valproate (section)

==History==
Valproic acid was first synthesized in 1882 by [[Beverly S. Burton]] as an [[analog (chemistry)|analogue]] of [[valeric acid]], found naturally in [[Valerian (herb)|valerian]].<ref>{{cite journal | vauthors = Burton BS | year = 1882 | title = On the propyl derivatives and decomposition products of ethylacetoacetate | journal = Am. Chem. J. | volume = 3 | pages = 385–395 }}</ref> Valproic acid is a [[carboxylic acid]], a clear liquid at room temperature. For many decades, its only use was in laboratories as a "metabolically inert" solvent for organic compounds. In 1962, the French researcher Pierre Eymard serendipitously discovered the anticonvulsant properties of valproic acid while using it as a vehicle for a number of other compounds that were being screened for antiseizure activity. He found it prevented [[pentylenetetrazol]]-induced convulsions in [[laboratory rats]].<ref>{{cite journal | vauthors = Meunier H, Carraz G, Neunier Y, Eymard P, Aimard M | title = [Pharmacodynamic properties of N-dipropylacetic acid] | language = fr | journal = Therapie | volume = 18 | pages = 435–438 | year = 1963 | pmid = 13935231 | trans-title = Pharmacodynamic properties of N-dipropylacetic acid }}</ref> It was approved as an antiepileptic drug in 1967 in France and has become the most widely prescribed antiepileptic drug worldwide.<ref>{{cite journal | vauthors = Perucca E | title = Pharmacological and therapeutic properties of valproate: a summary after 35 years of clinical experience | journal = CNS Drugs | volume = 16 | issue = 10 | pages = 695–714 | year = 2002 | pmid = 12269862 | doi = 10.2165/00023210-200216100-00004 | s2cid = 803106 }}</ref> Valproic acid has also been used for migraine [[Preventive healthcare|prophylaxis]] and bipolar disorder.<ref>{{cite journal | vauthors = Henry TR | title = The history of valproate in clinical neuroscience | journal = Psychopharmacology Bulletin | volume = 37 | issue = Suppl 2 | pages = 5–16 | year = 2003 | pmid = 14624229 }}</ref>