title: Obstructive sleep apnea in epilepsy.
abstract: Obstructive sleep apnea can affect an individual with epilepsy profoundly. These relatively common disorders can coexist and potentially exacerbate each other. The identification and appropriate treatment of OSA may have far-reaching consequences in improving a patient's quality of life and recurrence of seizures. Clinicians must be aware of the relationship of these disorders and keenly question epilepsy patients, regardless of their body habitus, regarding potential symptoms of sleep apnea. Although the underlying pathogenic mechanisms are unclear, we can model the information gained from the observations to further the understanding of the relationship between sleep and epilepsy.
authors.affiliation: Division of Sleep and Epilepsy, Department of Neurology, University of North Carolina School of Medicine, Chapel Hill, NC 27599-7025, USA. vaughnb@glial.med.unc.edu
authors.forename: Bradley V
authors.initials: BV
authors.lastname: Vaughn
authors.forename: O'Neill F
authors.initials: OF
authors.lastname: D'Cruz
mesh_terms: D002986:Clinical Trials as Topic; D004569:Electroencephalography; D004827:Epilepsy / Q000150:complications* / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000628:therapy; D006801:Humans; D012143:Respiratory Physiological Phenomena; D020181:Sleep Apnea, Obstructive / Q000150:complications* / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000628:therapy