The presence of sleep apnoea and evaluation of sleep structures in epilepsy subtypes

Abstract

Background & Objective: Identifying seizure-triggering factors and taking precautions in epilepsy patients are important for seizure control and disease progression. Comorbidity between sleep disorders and epilepsy is frequently observed. The severity of epilepsy may affect the risk of sleep apnoea, and obstructive sleep apnoea is thought to exacerbate epilepsy. We thought that there may be differences in the rate of sleep apnoea, sleep structures and sleep characteristics between focal and generalized epilepsy patients. The aim of this study was to compare sleep apnoea and sleep characteristics between patients diagnosed with focal and generalised epilepsy.

Methods: We evaluated polysomnography findings, clinical features, the Epworth Sleepiness Scale, the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index and the STOP–BANG tests of patients who were diagnosed with focal and primary generalised epilepsy and normal individuals without a diagnosis of epilepsy. The collected data were compared between the generalized epilepsy, focal epilepsy and control group.

Results: We included 84 individuals (22 patients with generalised epilepsy, 26 patients with focal epilepsy and 36 controls) in our study. The median age was 37 years (range 19-69). The apnoea-hypopnea index (AHI) (p=0.402) and the sleep apnoea percentage (p=0.385) were no significantly difference between the generalised and focal epilepsy groups. Sleep apnoea was detected in 50% of the epilepsy patients. The STOP–BANG score was significantly higher in the sleep apnoea group than in the control (p = 0.021). The most common sleep disturbance symptoms were daytime sleepiness in the generalised and focal epilepsy groups.

Conclusion: The sleep apnoea percentage were no difference between the generalised and focal epilepsy groups. When sleep apnoea is suspected in epilepsy patients, and when polysomnography is not possible, evaluation can be made with the STOP–BANG test.