1-Phenyl-lower alkylimidazole-4- and/or 5-carboxamides of the formula <IMAGE> (I) in which Ph represents phenyl substituted by lower alkyl and/or by halogen, alk represents lower alkylidene, one of the radicals R1 and R2 is carbamoyl optionally substituted by lower alkyl or by lower alkanoyl and the other is hydrogen, lower alkyl, or carbamoyl optionally substituted by lower alkyl or by lower alkanoyl, and R3 represents hydrogen or lower alkyl, have anticonvulsive properties and can be used as anticonvulsives. They are manufactured as follows: in a compound of the formula <IMAGE> (III) in which R1' represents a radical R1 or X and R2' represents a radical X, or R1' represents a radical X and R2' represents a radical R2, where X represents a group that can be converted into carbamoyl that optionally is mono- or di-substituted by lower alkyl or monosubstituted by lower alkanoyl, the radical X or the radicals X is/are converted into carbamoyl that optionally is mono- or di-substituted by lower alkyl or monosubstituted by lower alkanoyl.
1-Phenyl-lower alkyl-imidazole 4- or 5-carboxamide compounds which are useful in the treatment of epilepsy