title: Pregabalin increases slow-wave sleep and may improve attention in patients with partial epilepsy and insomnia.
abstract: Insomnia is a common phenomenon particularly in patients with epilepsy. This study was performed to look at the effects of pregabalin, an anticonvulsant known to increase sleep depth and decrease arousals, in patients with insomnia and well-controlled epilepsy.
  
  
  METHODS
  This was a double-blind, placebo-controlled, crossover study of subjects with insomnia and epilepsy. Each subject was treated with pregabalin 150 mg BID or placebo for two weeks, followed by a two-week washout period, then the other treatment for two weeks. Polysomnography and neuropsychological testing were performed at baseline and at the end of each treatment arm.
  
  
  RESULTS
  There was a significant increase in percentage of slow-wave sleep and a decrease in stage 1 sleep when subjects were taking pregabalin. Sleep efficiency increased during pregabalin treatment, although this was not statistically significant (84.5+/-4.6% for placebo versus 90.4+/-2.6% for pregabalin). There were a significant improvement in attention in the pregabalin group based on trial one of the Rey-Auditory Verbal Learning Test and a trend toward improvement in the psychomotor vigilance task; other neuropsychological measures were not significantly changed.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Concurrent treatment with pregabalin improves sleep depth in patients with insomnia and epilepsy and improves daytime attention.
authors.affiliation: Columbia University, New York, NY 10032, USA. cwb11@columbia.edu
authors.forename: C W
authors.initials: CW
authors.lastname: Bazil
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Dave
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Cole
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Stalvey
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Drake
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000927:Anticonvulsants / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D001289:Attention Deficit Disorder with Hyperactivity / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000209:etiology; D018592:Cross-Over Studies; D004311:Double-Blind Method; D004569:Electroencephalography; D004576:Electromyography; D004828:Epilepsies, Partial / Q000150:complications / Q000188:drug therapy*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009483:Neuropsychological Tests; D017286:Polysomnography; D000069583:Pregabalin; D012890:Sleep / Q000187:drug effects*; D007319:Sleep Initiation and Maintenance Disorders / Q000150:complications / Q000188:drug therapy*; D055815:Young Adult; D005680:gamma-Aminobutyric Acid / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000627:therapeutic use
chemical_list: D000927:Anticonvulsants; D000069583:Pregabalin; D005680:gamma-Aminobutyric Acid