title: A quantitative study of daytime sleepiness induced by carbamazepine and add-on vigabatrin in epileptic patients.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The clinical relevance of daytime sleepiness associated with carbamazepine (CBZ) and vigabatrin (VGB) was objectively assessed by the multiple sleep latency test (MSLT) and nocturnal sleep recordings.
  
  
  METHODS
  Twenty-six patients with partial epilepsy and mean monthly seizure frequency of 4, aged 18 to 48 years, receiving chronic monotherapy with CBZ and subsequent VGB addition for 2 months (14 patients), were compared with a group of healthy subjects. Subjective daytime sleepiness was complained by 13 patients on CBZ monotherapy and 9 patients during VGB add-on treatment.
  
  
  RESULTS
  No differences in nocturnal sleep parameters, but significantly shorter daytime sleep latencies at the MSLT, were detected in CBZ-treated patients as compared with healthy controls. Addition of VGB therapy did not further enhance objective daytime sleepiness.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Some sleepiness occurs in chronically CBZ-treated epileptic patients, which can be objectively measured by the MSLT, but it is not aggravated by add-on VGB.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurosciences, University of Pisa, Italy.
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Bonanni
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Massetani
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Galli
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Gneri
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Petri
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Iudice
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Murri
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000927:Anticonvulsants / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000494:pharmacology; D002220:Carbamazepine / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000494:pharmacology; D004359:Drug Therapy, Combination; D004827:Epilepsy / Q000188:drug therapy*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012890:Sleep / Q000187:drug effects; D012894:Sleep Stages; D020888:Vigabatrin; D014851:Wakefulness / Q000187:drug effects; D005680:gamma-Aminobutyric Acid / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000494:pharmacology
chemical_list: D000927:Anticonvulsants; D002220:Carbamazepine; D005680:gamma-Aminobutyric Acid; D020888:Vigabatrin