Los cambios climáticos: ¿pueden afectar en epilepsia? Revisión del tema con presentación de 2 casos clínicos / Climate change: can it affect epilepsy? Review of the topic with presentation of 2 clinical cases

Muchas enfermedades neurológicas son condiciones crónicas complejas influenciadas en muchos niveles por cambios en el medio ambiente. El cambio climático (CC) se refiere a la gama más amplia de cambios locales, regionales y globales en los patrones climáticos promedio, impulsados principalmente, en los últimos 100 años, por actividades antropogénicas. Diversas variables climáticas se asocian con una mayor frecuencia de convulsiones en personas con epilepsia. Es probable que los riesgos se vean modificados por muchos factores, que van desde la variación genética individual y la función del canal dependiente de la temperatura, hasta la calidad de la vivienda y las cadenas de suministro globales. Los diferentes tipos de epilepsia parecen tener una distinta susceptibilidad a las influencias estacionales. El aumento de la temperatura corporal, ya sea en el contexto de la fiebre o no, tiene un papel crítico en el umbral convulsivo. Es probable que los vínculos entre el cambio climático y la epilepsia sean multifactoriales, complejos y, a menudo, indirectos, lo que dificulta las predicciones. Actualmente necesitamos más datos sobre los posibles riesgos en enfermedades; entre ellas la epilepsia. Se presentan 2 casos clínicos que refieren cambios en la frecuencia de sus crisis en relación a las altas temperaturas registradas.

Many neurological diseases are complex chronic conditions influenced on many levels by changes in the environment. Climate change refers to the widest range of local, regional, and global changes in average weather patterns, driven primarily, over the past 100 years, by anthropogenic activities. Various climatic variables are associated with an increased frequency of seizures in people with epilepsy. Risks are likely to be modified by many factors, ranging from individual genetic variation and temperature-dependent channel function, to housing quality and global supply chains. Different types of epilepsy appear to have different susceptibility to seasonal influences. Increased body temperature, whether in the context of fever or not, plays a critical role in the seizure threshold. The links between climate change and epilepsy are likely to be multifactorial, complex, and often indirect, making predictions difficult. We currently need more data on the possible risks of disease; among them epilepsy. We present 2 clinical cases that refer to changes in the frequency of their seizures in relation to the high temperatures recorded.

Effect of melatonin administration on subjective sleep quality in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease

Disturbed sleep is common in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Conventional hypnotics worsen nocturnal hypoxemia and, in severe cases, can lead to respiratory failure. Exogenous melatonin has somnogenic properties in normal subjects and can improve sleep in several clinical conditions. This randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study was carried out to determine the effects of melatonin on sleep in COPD. Thirty consecutive patients with moderate to very severe COPD were initially recruited for the study. None of the participants had a history of disease exacerbation 4 weeks prior to the study, obstructive sleep apnea, mental disorders, current use of oral steroids, methylxanthines or hypnotic-sedative medication, nocturnal oxygen therapy, and shift work. Patients received 3 mg melatonin (N = 12) or placebo (N = 13), orally in a single dose, 1 h before bedtime for 21 consecutive days. Sleep quality was assessed by the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) and daytime sleepiness was measured by the Epworth Sleepiness Scale. Pulmonary function and functional exercise level were assessed by spirometry and the 6-min walk test, respectively. Twenty-five patients completed the study protocol and were included in the final analysis. Melatonin treatment significantly improved global PSQI scores (P = 0.012), particularly sleep latency (P = 0.008) and sleep duration (P = 0.046). No differences in daytime sleepiness, lung function and functional exercise level were observed. We conclude that melatonin can improve sleep in COPD. Further long-term studies involving larger number of patients are needed before melatonin can be safely recommended for the management of sleep disturbances in these patients.