The use of perampanel in drug-resistant focal epilepsy: its effect on sleep

Abstract

Perampanel (PER) is an antiepileptic drug (AED), the effects of which on sleep have not been studied in Russia.Objective: to assess changes in the quality of sleep, the level of daytime sleepiness, and the polysomnographic (PSG) characteristics of nocturnal sleep in patients with drug-resistant focal epilepsy when PER is incorporated into the therapy regimen as an additional AED.Patients and methods. The investigation enrolled 12 patients (4 men and 8 women) aged 21 to 49 years with drug-resistant epilepsy treated with several AEDs, who had initiated therapy with PER as an additional AED. PSG study and questioning survey were done before and 1 month after initiation of PER therapy.Results and discussion. After one month of PER therapy, there was an increase in the quality of night sleep in 5 cases and a reduction in daytime sleepiness in 6 cases. The PSG pattern was stable in 3 patients, worsened in 1, and improved in 8.Conclusion. The preliminary results suggest that PER therapy improves night sleep quality and reduces daytime sleepiness in about half of the cases, as evidenced by the improved PSG pattern in 67% of patients.

Keywords

• perampanel
• drug-resistant focal epilepsy
• daytime drowsiness
• sleep quality
• polysomnography