Sleep and sleep deprivation as EEG activating methods.
OBJECTIVE
We examined retrospectively 19 patients with a history of clinical seizures, but normal activity or unclear epileptiform abnormalities in wake EEG recordings and obtained preliminary data for a controlled cohort study to evaluate the effects of sleep deprivation (SD) on interictal epileptic activity.


METHODS
Nineteen patients referred to our EEG department for diagnostic or follow-up purposes were divided in two groups on the basis of the different EEG protocols applied. The first group (n=5) underwent two laboratory polysomnographies during afternoon naps, after SD, but the patients failed to fall asleep in one of the two occasions. The second group (n=14) was submitted to two polysomnographies, the first without SD and the second after SD.


RESULTS
The first group of patients demonstrated focal epileptic discharges in 4 patients in which wake after SD appeared to be less activated that sleep after SD. In the second group the results obtained from the waking part of the recordings suggest a lack of activating effect due to SD.


CONCLUSIONS
SD does not seem to offer greater activation than sleep alone. However, a mild SD may be a convenient activating method for inducing sleep and drowsiness without using any drug.
Marinig
R
R
Clinica Neurologica, DPMSC Università degli Studi di Udine, Via Colugna 50, 33100, Udine, Italy.
Pauletto
G
G
Dolso
P
P
Valente
M
M
Bergonzi
P
P
D001921:Brain / Q000503:physiopathology*; D004569:Electroencephalography; D006801:Humans; D012890:Sleep / Q000502:physiology*; D012892:Sleep Deprivation / Q000503:physiopathology*