Effect of Sleep-Deprivation on Epilepsy Control: Will improving sleep quality reduces the need for anti-epileptic treatment and lowers seizures frequency?

Epilepsy has a prevalence of 0.5 and ndash;1.0% and 30% of affected individuals continue to have seizures despite antiepileptic drugs (AEDs). Reducing factors which may promote seizures, such as sleep deprivation, could lead to new and more effective treatment strategies. In the current study we will perform a prospective, randomized trial of sleep hygiene and Zolpidem for seizure reduction in patients with refractory epilepsy with coexisting sleep disturbances. Adult and pediatric patients with refractory generalized or partial epilepsy following at SQUH will be submitted to sleep evaluation. Patients with abnormal sleep pattern and proven sleep deprivation will undergo a trial of either sleep hygiene or treatment with Zolpidem. This type of intervention will allow us to study the effect of treating sleep deprivation in improving epilepsy control in Omani patient and rsquo;s and potentially reducing AEDs dosing when possible.

Epilepsy has a prevalence of 0.5 and ndash;1.0% and 30% of affected individuals continue to have seizures despite antiepileptic drugs (AEDs). Reducing factors which may promote seizures, such as sleep deprivation, could lead to new and more effective treatment strategies. In the current study we will perform a prospective, randomized trial of sleep hygiene and Zolpidem for seizure reduction in patients with refractory epilepsy with coexisting sleep disturbances. Adult and pediatric patients with refractory generalized or partial epilepsy following at SQUH will be submitted to sleep evaluation. Patients with abnormal sleep pattern and proven sleep deprivation will undergo a trial of either sleep hygiene or treatment with Zolpidem. This type of intervention will allow us to study the effect of treating sleep deprivation in improving epilepsy control in Omani patient and rsquo;s and potentially reducing AEDs dosing when possible.