Subjective sleep disturbance in patients with partial epilepsy: a questionnaire-based study on prevalence and impact on quality of life.
OBJECTIVE
This study was designed to assess whether sleep disturbance is more frequent among patients with partial seizures and what impact on quality of life (QoL) sleep disturbance may have on patients with partial seizures.


METHODS
Questionnaire booklets were mailed to 1,183 patients from four Dutch clinics. Each patient was asked to find two age- and gender-matched controls to complete the same set of questionnaires [Sleep Diagnosis List (SDL), Medical Outcomes Study (MOS)-Sleep Scale, Groningen Sleep Questionnaire, Epworth Sleepiness Scale, and the SF-36 Health Survey]. The prevalence of sleep disturbance, based on the SDL, was compared between those with partial epilepsy and controls. Mean scores on sleep and the SF-36 Physical (PCS) and Mental (MCS) Component Summary scales were compared.


RESULTS
Responses from 486 patients and 492 controls were analyzed. Respondents with partial epilepsy had a highly significant, twofold higher prevalence of sleep disturbance compared with controls (38.6 vs. 18.0%; p < 0.0001). Most sleep-disorder subscales showed significant abnormalities in respondents with epilepsy, compared with controls. Mean SF-36 MCS and PCS scores were significantly lower in respondents with epilepsy compared with controls in both the strata with sleep disturbance and without (all p values <0.05). The presence of a sleep disturbance in respondents with epilepsy was associated with the greatest impairment in QoL.


CONCLUSIONS
Sleep disturbance is more than twice as prevalent in persons with partial epilepsy compared with controls, and most domains of sleep are significantly disturbed. Persons with partial epilepsy have significant QoL impairment, and sleep disturbance further compounds this.
de Weerd
Al
A
Centre for Sleep & Wake Disorders, Medical Centre Haaglanden, Westeinde Hospital, The Hague, The Netherlands. adweerd@sein.nl
de Haas
Sanne
S
Otte
Andreas
A
Trenité
Dorothée Kasteleijn-Nolst
DK
van Erp
Gerard
G
Cohen
Adam
A
de Kam
Marieke
M
van Gerven
Joop
J
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000553:Ambulatory Care; D015897:Comorbidity; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D003718:Denmark / Q000453:epidemiology; D004828:Epilepsies, Partial / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000523:psychology; D005260:Female; D006304:Health Status; D006306:Health Surveys; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011788:Quality of Life; D012893:Sleep Wake Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000523:psychology; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires