Excessive sleepiness and sleep patterns in patients with epilepsy: A case-control study

The aim of this study was to assess excessive daytime sleepiness (EDS), sleep quality, and sleep disorders in a cohort of patients with epilepsy in the city of Florianopolis in southern Brazil. One hundred and forty patients diagnosed with epilepsy were assessed by questionnaires that included demographic and clinical variables, the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI), the Epworth Sleepiness Scale (ESS), the Stanford Sleepiness Scale (SSS), and the Fletcher & Luckett Adapted Questionnaire (FLAQ). These data were then compared to data from a control group (n = 85). Compared to controls, patients with epilepsy (PWE) had significantly higher scores on the ESS (p = 0.003), higher scores on the “daytime dysfunction” domain of the PSQI (p = 0.002), and more symptoms that suggested obstructive sleep apnea in the FLAQ (p < 0.001). By performing multiple linear regression models, we demonstrated that age, male gender, the presence of secondarily generalized seizures, and phenobarbital use were slightly to moderately correlated with PSQI (r = 0.38) and FLAQ (r = 0.51) but not with SSS scores. We concluded that PWE had more EDS, daytime dysfunction, and sleep disorders compared to a control group.