Relationship between sleep quality and cognitive performance in patients with epilepsy.

PURPOSE: To investigate the relationship between self-reported sleep quality and cognitive function in patients with epilepsy (PWE), as well as anxiety and depressive symptoms and patient quality of life (QoL). METHODS: This multicenter cross-sectional study included PWE aged ≥12 years who were receiving ≥1 anti-seizure medication (ASM) and had not been diagnosed with a sleep disorder. Patients completed the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI), the Epworth Sleepiness Scale (ESS), the Montreal Cognitive Assessment test (MoCA), the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS), and the Quality of Life in Epilepsy Inventory-10 (QOLIE-10). RESULTS: The study enrolled 150 patients aged 16-83 years, mean age (standard deviation [SD]) 40.6 (15.2) years; 58.7% were female and 75.3% had focal epilepsy. Mean (SD) PSQI score was 4.71 (3.08), 44.4% of patients had impaired sleep quality (PSQI score ≥5), 19.9% had pathologic excessive daytime sleepiness (ESS score >12), and 32.7% had mild cognitive impairment (MoCA score <26). Within the PSQI, sleep disturbance (P = 0.036) and use of sleep medication (P = 0.006) scores were significantly higher in patients with mild cognitive impairment. Multiple regression analysis showed older age (regression coefficient [B], -0.086; 95% confidence interval [CI], -0.127, -0.045; P < 0.001) and the use of sleep medication component of the PSQI [B, -1.157; 95% CI, -2.064, -0.220; P = 0.013) were independently associated with lower MoCA score. Poor sleep quality was associated with probable anxiety and depression symptoms, and directly correlated with reduced QoL. CONCLUSIONS: In PWE, sleep quality was not significantly independently associated with mild cognitive impairment, although poor sleep quality had a negative effect on mood and QoL.

Effectiveness and safety of perampanel as early add-on treatment in patients with epilepsy and focal seizures in the routine clinical practice: Spain prospective study (PERADON).

OBJECTIVE: Perampanel (PER) has been shown to be effective as an adjunctive therapy for controlling refractory focal-onset seizures (FOS). However, the information as early add-on for the treatment of FOS in the clinical practice is still scarce and must be further assessed. METHODS: An observational prospective study was conducted to evaluate the effectiveness of early add-on PER, assessed as 50% responders (seizure frequency reduced by at least 50% during the last 3 months as compared with baseline) rate at 6 and 12 months, in patients with FOS in the routine clinical practice of Spain. RESULTS: One hundred and thirteen patients (mean age: 40.3 years, 51.3% male) with FOS received PER as early add-on (1st add-on: 37.2% and 2nd: 62.8%) for a mean exposure of 11 months (mean PER dose: 6.3 mg/day at month 12). At 6 months, 50.4% and 20.4% of the patients were responders and seizure-free (respectively) relative to baseline (3 months prior to PER initiation), and at 12 months, 68.1% and 26.5% of the patients were responders and seizure-free (respectively), relative to baseline (3 months prior to PER initiation). The retention rate at 6 and 12 months was 83.2% and 80.5%, respectively. The percentage of seizure-free patients at 12 months was significantly (p = 0.033) higher when PER was added as first vs. second add-on. The number of concomitant antiepileptic drugs (AEDs) was significantly reduced from baseline to 6 and 12 months (p = 0.001). Treatment was simplified in 23.9% of patients at the end of the observation period. Drug-related adverse events (AEs), most mild or moderate, were reported in 30.1% of patients, with irritability (8%) and dizziness (7.1%) as the most frequent ones. CONCLUSIONS: This is the first observational, prospective study to evaluate efficacy and safety of early adjunctive treatment with PER in patients with focal epilepsy at 12 months. Perampanel demonstrated a good efficacy and safety profile when used at a median dose of 6 mg/day, regardless of the combination with other AEDs. Adverse events were mild or moderate, with dizziness being the most frequent one.

Restless abdomen: a phenotypic variant of restless legs syndrome.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: A diagnosis of restless legs syndrome (RLS) requires an urge to move the legs in combination with sensory leg discomfort. Localization of the symptoms to other body areas in the absence of leg involvement is not recognized as part of the phenotypic spectrum of RLS. We describe 3 patients who presented with sensorimotor symptoms confined to the abdominal wall and, with the exception of not involving the legs, satisfied the primary and secondary diagnostic criteria for RLS. METHODS: Patients underwent detailed clinical history, video-polysomnography, abdominal imaging, and serologic and genotyping assessment. RESULTS: Unpleasant abdominal symptoms emerged at night during periods of rest and were accompanied by an urge to move and temporized by movement. Patients reported sleep onset and sleep maintenance insomnia due to their abdominal symptomatology. Abdominal imaging was normal. Secondary features included periodic leg movements of sleep (PLMS), and dramatic symptom amelioration with the D(2)-D(3) dopaminergic agonist pramipexole. Two subjects were anemic. Conventional RLS emerged in one subject and resolved after dose escalation. Each subject was homozygous for the most common RLS/PLMS-associated risk allele in the BTBD9 gene. CONCLUSIONS: Our observations indicate that the restricted abdominal symptomatology manifest in our subjects represents a phenotypic variant of RLS. Physicians should be vigilant to the existence of this unique phenotype when encountering subjects who present with insomnia and abnormal abdominal sensations. Our experience emphasizes the importance of supportive clinical features in rendering a correct diagnosis such that the most cost-effective workups and treatment can be realized.