Nocturnal frontal lobe epilepsy presenting as excessive daytime sleepiness.
Excessive daytime sleepiness (EDS) is common in the general population. Etiologies include insufficient sleep and primary sleep disorders. Due to its high prevalence, physicians often overlook EDS as a significant problem. However, EDS may also be the presenting symptom of seizures, in particular Nocturnal Frontal Lobe Epilepsy (NFLE). Due to the clinical similarity between the nocturnal behaviors of NFLE and parasomnias, and poor patient-related history, NFLE remains a challenging diagnosis. We report the case of a patient with NFLE who presented with a primary complaint of EDS, and discuss the differential diagnosis and evaluation of patients with EDS associated with nocturnal behaviors. In the context of a patient presenting with EDS and stereotyped nocturnal events, clinical suspicion should be high for NFLE.
Department of Neurology, University of Miami, USA ; Department of Neurology, Drexel University College of Medicine, USA.
Jocelyn Y
JY
Cheng
Department of Neurology, University of Miami, USA.
Douglas M
DM
Wallace
Department of Neurology, University of Miami, USA.
Maria R
MR
Lopez
Department of Neurology, University of Miami, USA.
Enrique J
EJ
Carrazana
Epilepsy; excessive daytime sleepiness; hypersomnia; parasomnia; seizures