Valproate is believed to affect the function of the neurotransmitter GABA in the human brain, making it an alternative to lithium salts in treatment of bipolar disorder. Its
mechanism of
action includes enhanced neurotransmission of GABA (by inhibiting GABA transaminase, which breaks down GABA). However, several other mechanisms of action in neuropsychiatric disorders have been proposed for valproic acid in recent years.
*Rosenberg, G. (2007).