Epilepsy affects millions worldwide, with 40% of patients experiencing uncontrolled seizures despite medication. Comprehensive epilepsy centers recommend continuous video-electroencephalography monitoring to define seizure type and distinguish mimickers. This process, however, is resource-intensive, with lengthy hospital stays. The investigators' recent study identified a heightened association between arousals and epileptic activity in drug-resistant focal epilepsy patients. Building on these findings, the investigators aim to explore whether disrupting sleep with an alarm system triggers earlier occurrence of seizures, potentially offering insights to reduce hospital stay durations in epilepsy monitoring units.
Study Type
INTERVENTIONAL
Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Purpose
OTHER
Masking
SINGLE
Enrollment
75
Generic alarm system programmed to sound during the night to try to induce arousals from sleep.
Seizure frequency during EMU (epilepsy monitoring unit) stay
Average number of seizures per day, recorded daily during the patient's EMU stay. Measured for all groups of patients.
Time frame: 1 month after the EMU stay (up to 9 weeks)
Duration of EMU (epilepsy monitoring unit) admission
Overall duration (in days) of the EMU admission. Measured for all groups of patients.
Time frame: 1 month after the EMU stay (up to 9 weeks)
Average interictal spike rates
Average number of spike rates, taken from a random segment for each day and night. Measured for all groups of patients.
Time frame: 1 month after the EMU stay (up to 9 weeks)
Change in sleep quality
As determined by changes in Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index scores. A higher score indicates increased sleep disturbances.
Time frame: Baseline (Day 1), last day of EMU stay (up to 5 weeks), 1 month after the EMU stay (up to 9 weeks)
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