Sleep patterns in patients with late onset partial epilepsy receiving chronic carbamazepine (CBZ) therapy

• Published in: Epilepsy research Vol. 7; no. 1; pp. 72 - 76
• Main Authors: Manni, R., Galimberti, C.A., Zucca, C., Parietti, L., Tartara, A.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Amsterdam Elsevier B.V 01.09.1990; Elsevier
• Subjects: Adult; Biological and medical sciences; Carbamazepine - therapeutic use; Electroencephalography; Epilepsies, Partial - drug therapy; Epilepsies, Partial - physiopathology; Female; Headache. Facial pains. Syncopes. Epilepsia. Intracranial hypertension. Brain oedema. Cerebral palsy; Humans; Male; Medical sciences; Nervous system (semeiology, syndromes); Neurology; Nocturnal sleep; Partial epilepsy; Sleep - physiology; Sleep Stages; Partial epilepsy; Nocturnal sleep; Human; Nervous system diseases; Pathogenesis; Epilepsy; Sleep disorder; Exploration; Anticonvulsant; Electroencephalography; Polygraphy; Electrodiagnosis; Chemotherapy; Sleep; Treatment; Partial
• ISSN: 0920-1211; 1872-6844
• DOI: 10.1016/0920-1211(90)90056-2

A night-time polygraphic sleep recording was performed in 14 patients with late onset partial epilepsy receiving chronic carbamazepine monotherapy. All patients had unstable nocturnal sleep patterns as indicated by significantly altered sleep continuity parameters compared with normal controls. Patients with poor seizure control tended to show greater alterations of sleep stability compared to patients in complete clinical remission but the difference failed to reach statistical significance. Epileptic patients also showed less REM sleep and longer REM latencies compared with normal controls, the most altered REM values being observed in patients with poor seizure control. These data confirm that polygraphic sleep alterations are seen in patients with symptomatic focal epilepsy and indicate that these abnormalities occur irrespective of seizure recurrence.