title: Usefulness of a simple sleep-deprived EEG protocol for epilepsy diagnosis in de novo subjects.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  In case series concerning the role of EEG after sleep deprivation (SD-EEG) in epilepsy, patients' features and protocols vary dramatically from one report to another. In this study, we assessed the usefulness of a simple SD-EEG method in well characterized patients.
  
  
  METHODS
  Among the 963 adult subjects submitted to SD-EEG at our Center, in the period 2003-2010, we retrospectively selected for analysis only those: (1) evaluated for suspected epileptic seizures; (2) with a normal/non-specific baseline EEG; (3) still drug-free at the time of SD-EEG; (4) with an MRI analysis; (5) with at least 1 year follow-up. SD-EEG consisted in SD from 2:00 AM and laboratory EEG from 8:00 AM to 10:30 AM. We analyzed epileptic interictal abnormalities (IIAs) and their correlations with patients' features.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Epilepsy was confirmed in 131 patients. SD-EEG showed IIAs in 41.2% of all patients with epilepsy, and a 91.1% specificity for epilepsy diagnosis; IIAs types observed during SD-EEG are different in generalized versus focal epilepsies; for focal epilepsies, the IIAs yield in SD-EEG is higher than in second routine EEG.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This simple SD-EEG protocol is very useful in de novo patients with suspected seizures.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This study sheds new light on the role of SD-EEG in specific epilepsy populations.
authors.affiliation: Section of Neurology of the Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine of the University of Pisa, and Neurology Unit of the Department of Neuroscience, A.O.U.P., Pisa, Italy. Electronic address: giorgifs@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Filippo S
authors.initials: FS
authors.lastname: Giorgi
authors.forename: Daria
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Perini
authors.forename: Michelangelo
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Maestri
authors.forename: Melania
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Guida
authors.forename: Chiara
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Pizzanelli
authors.forename: Anna
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Caserta
authors.forename: Alfonso
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Iudice
authors.forename: Enrica
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Bonanni
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D002940:Circadian Rhythm; D004569:Electroencephalography; D004828:Epilepsies, Partial / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology; D004827:Epilepsy / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000209:etiology; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012640:Seizures / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D012892:Sleep Deprivation / Q000150:complications* / Q000503:physiopathology
keywords: Electroencephalogram; Epilepsy; Epileptic interictal abnormalities; Sleep deprivation; Sleep/wake cycle