Publicação
Characterization of Sleep Quality in Children with Epilepsy
| Resumo: | Introduction – Epilepsy affects around 0,5 to 1% of children. The connection between epilepsy and sleep is mutually influential. Inadequate sleep enhances seizures and epileptic activity itself causes sleep fragmentation. Epilepsy patients report more sleep disturbances than the general population. Objective – To characterize sleep quality in children with self-limited focal or idiopathic generalized epilepsy using a parent-report questionnaire. Methods – Observational, descriptive, cross-sectional, questionnaire-based study. The inclusion criteria were children: aged between two and ten years; with self-limited or generalized epilepsy; non-structural; controlled with or without anti-seizure medication (ASM). The exclusion criteria were children with: structural brain lesion or cerebral palsy; encephalopathy; intellectual development delay; refractory epilepsies; taking drugs that affects the sleep architecture (like psychostimulants). The Children’s Sleep Habits Questionnaire – Portuguese version, was used as an assessment tool during Epilepsy appointments. Results – Of the 50 children between 3 and 10 years included, 27 had self-limited focal epilepsy and 23 had idiopathic generalized epilepsy. 86% (n=43) of the patients scored above the cutoff for the Portuguese population (p<0,001). Sleep duration (94%) and sleep onset delay (62%) were the subscales with more prevalent issues. Night wakings (12%) and daytime sleepiness (4%) were the ones with lower problems incidence. Males had higher scores, both in the total score (p=0,026) and in daytime sleepiness (p=0,024). Children with epilepsy and comorbid attention deficit and hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) scored higher on the total score (p=0,045) and on daytime sleepiness subscale (p=0,003) than those with epilepsy alone. The impact of anti-seizure medications on sleep varied, with valproic acid associated with higher daytime sleepiness scores (p=0,026). Sleep quality did not significantly differ between self-limited focal and idiopathic generalized epilepsy groups.Conclusion – Children with epilepsy have a higher incidence of sleep disturbances. Screening sleep disturbances should be an important component in the care of epilepsy patients. |
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| Autores principais: | Gomes, Sara Moreira |
| Assunto: | Sono Epilepsy Sleep Children Questionnaire Epilepsia Crianças Questionário |
| Ano: | 2024 |
| País: | Portugal |
| Tipo de documento: | dissertação de mestrado |
| Tipo de acesso: | acesso embargado |
| Instituição associada: | Universidade de Coimbra |
| Idioma: | inglês |
| Origem: | Estudo Geral - Universidade de Coimbra |
| Resumo: | Introduction – Epilepsy affects around 0,5 to 1% of children. The connection between epilepsy and sleep is mutually influential. Inadequate sleep enhances seizures and epileptic activity itself causes sleep fragmentation. Epilepsy patients report more sleep disturbances than the general population. Objective – To characterize sleep quality in children with self-limited focal or idiopathic generalized epilepsy using a parent-report questionnaire. Methods – Observational, descriptive, cross-sectional, questionnaire-based study. The inclusion criteria were children: aged between two and ten years; with self-limited or generalized epilepsy; non-structural; controlled with or without anti-seizure medication (ASM). The exclusion criteria were children with: structural brain lesion or cerebral palsy; encephalopathy; intellectual development delay; refractory epilepsies; taking drugs that affects the sleep architecture (like psychostimulants). The Children’s Sleep Habits Questionnaire – Portuguese version, was used as an assessment tool during Epilepsy appointments. Results – Of the 50 children between 3 and 10 years included, 27 had self-limited focal epilepsy and 23 had idiopathic generalized epilepsy. 86% (n=43) of the patients scored above the cutoff for the Portuguese population (p<0,001). Sleep duration (94%) and sleep onset delay (62%) were the subscales with more prevalent issues. Night wakings (12%) and daytime sleepiness (4%) were the ones with lower problems incidence. Males had higher scores, both in the total score (p=0,026) and in daytime sleepiness (p=0,024). Children with epilepsy and comorbid attention deficit and hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) scored higher on the total score (p=0,045) and on daytime sleepiness subscale (p=0,003) than those with epilepsy alone. The impact of anti-seizure medications on sleep varied, with valproic acid associated with higher daytime sleepiness scores (p=0,026). Sleep quality did not significantly differ between self-limited focal and idiopathic generalized epilepsy groups.Conclusion – Children with epilepsy have a higher incidence of sleep disturbances. Screening sleep disturbances should be an important component in the care of epilepsy patients. |
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