title: Sleep respiratory parameters in children with idiopathic epilepsy: A cross-sectional study.
abstract: The aim of this study is to explore and compare through polysomnography respiratory sleep parameters between children with idiopathic epilepsy and healthy children.
  
  
  
  Our cross-sectional study included 40 children with idiopathic epilepsy and 27 healthy children, who underwent overnight polysomnography. Data about sleep respiratory parameters were obtained and statistically analyzed. The level of statistical significance was set at 0.05.
  
  
  
  The prevalence of Obstructive Sleep Apnea Syndrome was significantly higher in the epilepsy group (35% vs 7.4%, p<0.01). Moreover, the odds ratio of an obstructive apnea index ≥1 in the epilepsy group was 10.6 (95% Confidence Intervals: 3.08-37.08) in comparison to the control group. The mean value of the obstructive apnea-hypopnea index was significantly higher in children with epilepsy compared to healthy children (2.46±1.22 vs 1.21±0.83, p=0.027). The mean values of central apnea index and desaturation index were comparable between these two groups. Longest apnea duration was significantly higher in the group of poor seizure control. All other sleep respiratory variables did not differ significantly between children with poor and good seizure control and between children with generalized and focal epilepsy.
  
  
  
  Children with epilepsy seem to present more prominent sleep breathing instability in comparison to healthy children, which mainly includes a predisposition to obstructive respiratory events. More studies are needed to investigate the relationship between sleep apneas and seizure control.
authors.affiliation: 2nd Department of Pediatrics, School of Medicine, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, University General Hospital AHEPA, Thessaloniki, Greece. Electronic address: mariaangogou@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Maria
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Gogou
authors.affiliation: 4th Department of Pediatrics, School of Medicine, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, General Hospital Papageorgiou, Regional Road, Nea Efkarpia, 56403, Thessaloniki, Greece.
authors.forename: Katerina
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Haidopoulou
authors.affiliation: 4th Department of Pediatrics, School of Medicine, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, General Hospital Papageorgiou, Regional Road, Nea Efkarpia, 56403, Thessaloniki, Greece.
authors.forename: Maria
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Eboriadou
authors.affiliation: 2nd Department of Pediatrics, School of Medicine, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, University General Hospital AHEPA, Thessaloniki, Greece.
authors.forename: Efterpi
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Pavlidou
authors.affiliation: 2nd Department of Pediatrics, School of Medicine, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, University General Hospital AHEPA, Thessaloniki, Greece.
authors.forename: Maria
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Hatzistylianou
authors.affiliation: 2nd Department of Pediatrics, School of Medicine, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, University General Hospital AHEPA, Thessaloniki, Greece.
authors.forename: Evaggelos
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Pavlou
mesh_terms: D002648:Child; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D004827:Epilepsy / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000503:physiopathology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D016017:Odds Ratio; D017286:Polysomnography; D015995:Prevalence; D012119:Respiration; D012640:Seizures / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000503:physiopathology; D012890:Sleep / Q000502:physiology; D020181:Sleep Apnea, Obstructive / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000503:physiopathology*
keywords: Children; Epilepsy; Polysomnography; Seizure control; Sleep apneas