HOME HELP FEEDBACK SUBSCRIPTIONS ARCHIVE SEARCH TABLE OF CONTENTS		QUICK SEARCH:   [advanced] Author: Keyword(s): Year:  Vol:  Page:

This Article Full Text Full Text (PDF) Correspondence: Submit a response Alert me when this article is cited Alert me when Correspondence are posted Alert me if a correction is posted Citation Map Services Email this article to a friend Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Citing Articles Citing Articles via HighWire Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Malow, B. A. Articles by Bowes, R. Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Malow, B. A. Articles by Bowes, R.

Obstructive sleep apnea is common in medically refractory epilepsy patients

From the Michael S. Aldrich Sleep Disorders Laboratory, Department of Neurology, University of Michigan Medical School, Ann Arbor.

Address correspondence and reprint requests to Dr. Beth A. Malow, Michael S. Aldrich Sleep Disorders Laboratory, UH Room 8D-8702, 1500 E. Medical Center Drive, Ann Arbor, MI 48109-0117; email: bmalow{at}umich.edu

BACKGROUND: Previous reports have documented the coexistence of obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) and epilepsy and the therapeutic effects of treatment on seizure frequency and daytime sleepiness. The authors’ objective was to determine the prevalence of OSA and its association with survey items in a group of patients with medically refractory epilepsy undergoing polysomnography (PSG).

METHODS: Thirty-nine candidates for epilepsy surgery without a history of OSA underwent PSG as part of a research protocol examining the relationship of interictal epileptiform discharges to sleep state. Subjects also completed questionnaires about their sleep, including validated measures of sleep-related breathing disorders (Sleep Apnea Scale of the Sleep Disorders Questionnaire [SA/SDQ]) and subjective daytime sleepiness (Epworth Sleepiness Scale [ESS]).

RESULTS: One-third of subjects had OSA, defined by a respiratory disturbance index (RDI) 5. Five subjects (13%) had moderate to severe OSA (RDI > 20). Subjects with OSA were more likely to be older, male, have a higher SA/SDQ score, and more likely to have seizures during sleep than those without OSA (p < 0.05). Seizure frequency per month, the number or type of antiepileptic drugs (AED) prescribed, the localization of seizures (temporal versus extratemporal), and the ESS were not statistically different between the two groups.

CONCLUSIONS: In our sample, previously undiagnosed obstructive sleep apnea was common, especially among men, older subjects, and those with seizures during sleep. The impact of treating OSA on seizure frequency and daytime sleepiness in medically refractory epilepsy patients warrants further controlled study.

This article has been cited by other articles:

				S. A. Chung, H. Yuan, and F. Chung A Systemic Review of Obstructive Sleep Apnea and Its Implications for Anesthesiologists Anesth. Analg., November 1, 2008; 107(5): 1543 - 1563. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				B. A. Malow, N. Foldvary-Schaefer, B. V. Vaughn, L. M. Selwa, R. D. Chervin, K. J. Weatherwax, L. Wang, and Y. Song Treating obstructive sleep apnea in adults with epilepsy: A randomized pilot trial Neurology, August 19, 2008; 71(8): 572 - 577. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				K. W. Hatton, J. T. McLarney, T. Pittman, and B. G. Fahy Vagal Nerve Stimulation: Overview and Implications for Anesthesiologists Anesth. Analg., November 1, 2006; 103(5): 1241 - 1249. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				B. J. Murray, J. K. Matheson, T. E. Scammell, and B. A. Malow Effects of vagus nerve stimulation on respiration during sleep Neurology, October 23, 2001; 57(8): 1523 - 1524. [Full Text] [PDF]

				B.A. Malow, J. Edwards, M. Marzec, O. Sagher, and G. Fromes Effects of vagus nerve stimulation on respiration during sleep: A pilot study Neurology, November 28, 2000; 55(10): 1450 - 1454. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]