Sleep continuity and assessment of the metabolism in cases of epilepsy by means of the metabolic holter device

Epilepsy is a chronic neurological condition that affects the patient?s quality of living. The relationship between sleep and epilepsy is one of the issues that have been studied for ages. With the discovery of the EEG, studies on sleep and epilepsy have accelerated and with polysomnography, a new era has begun in the field of sleep. Recently, intensive studies have been conducted on portable devices like ambulatory monitorization. This device enables cheaper and more comfortable assessment of patients? sleep patterns and provides the opportunity to observe patients in their natural environments. In this study, the epilepsy patients under observation at our clinic were assessed by means of the metabolic Holter device (Armband Sense Wear) in order to analyze the effects of epilepsy on sleep, the metabolic values of the patients and the effects of the used anticonvulsants on sleep and the metabolism. Throughout the study, the sleep patterns and metabolisms of 35 patients with sleep disorders who were receiving antiepileptic treatment at the relevant therapeutic level were examined along with a control group of 35 healthy people. The acquired data were reviewed in light of the relevant literature. It was ascertained that sleep patterns of epileptic patients were more fragmented than normal individuals, their sleep latency was longer and their sleep efficiency, total energy consumption and mean MET values were comparatively lower than the control group. The cases were assessed according to the anticonvulsant treatment they were receiving. The effects of anticonvulsants on sleep pattern were contrasted. Differences in sleep parameters of monotherapeutic and polytherapeutic patients were identified. It was also noted that sleep efficiency of CPS patients was better compared to GTCS patients. The acquired data have indicated that sleep related problems were frequent in epilepsy patients. The data have also exhibited that epileptic seizures and the side effects of the antiepileptic medication affect patients? sleep patterns and metabolisms negatively and that they deteriorate the quality of living. When it is considered that a comprehensive study on this issue is not very common in the literature, this study provides a significant contribution.Keyword: Epilepsy, sleep disorders, metabolism, metabolic Holter