Neurophysiological evaluation of vigilance in epileptic patients on monotherapy with lamotrigine.
OBJECTIVE
Limited research has focused to date on daytime sleepiness in epileptic patients treated with either conventional or newer antiepileptic drugs. We evaluated the level of vigilance in 15 consecutive, newly diagnosed and never medicated adult epileptic patients, receiving initial monotherapy with lamotrigine (LTG).


METHODS
Patients underwent the Multiple Sleep Latency Test (MSLT), visual reaction times (VRT) and Stanford Sleepiness Scale (SSS) on two separate occasions, i.e. before and 2 months after LTG treatment. A group of 15 age-matched healthy volunteers was taken as control.


RESULTS
At baseline, mean sleep latencies on the MSLT were comparable in epileptic patients and in controls. In patients, 2 months after monotherapy with LTG 200 mg/day, MSLT scores did not significantly change as compared with pre-treatment values. Accordingly, subjective evaluation of vigilance by the SSS and psychomotor performance by VRT were superimposable in controls and in untreated patients, and did not change in patients after LTG treatment.


CONCLUSIONS
These results suggest that in adult, newly diagnosed epileptic patients initial monotherapy with LTG does not impair vigilance.
Bonanni
E
E
Department of Neurosciences, University of Pisa, Section of Neurology, Pisa, Italy.
Galli
R
R
Gori
S
S
Pasquali
L
L
Maestri
M
M
Iudice
A
A
Murri
L
L
D000328:Adult; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D000927:Anticonvulsants / Q000494:pharmacology* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D001143:Arousal / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000502:physiology; D015331:Cohort Studies; D004827:Epilepsy / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000503:physiopathology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D000077213:Lamotrigine; D008297:Male; D012894:Sleep Stages / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000502:physiology; D014227:Triazines / Q000494:pharmacology* / Q000627:therapeutic use
D000927:Anticonvulsants; D014227:Triazines; D000077213:Lamotrigine