S. Liamsuwan et al., The value of partial sleep deprivation as a routine measure in pediatric electroencephalography, J CHILD NEU, 15(1), 2000, pp. 26-29
For more than 50 years it has been known that in patients with epilepsy, sl
eep markedly increases the diagnostic yield of the electroencephalogram (EE
G). Sleep deprivation could have an additional activating role. Many labora
tories do not use these methods routinely but reserve them for a second EEG
if equivocal or negative findings are present in the initial EEG. We studi
ed a regime of routine partial sleep deprivation without the use of hypnoti
c agents in 396 children younger than age 17 years who were referred for EE
G with a diagnosis of epilepsy or suspected epilepsy. Sleep was achieved fo
r the EEG in 77% (96% in the 1 month to 2 year age group, 78% in the 2 to 8
year age group, and in 64% of those more than 8 years old). In a compariso
n group of 72 children who had not been sleep-deprived, sleep was achieved
in 44% (69% of those less than 2 years old, 27% of those between 2 and 8 ye
ars of age, and 33% of those older than 8 years). The differences were high
ly significant. The regime was well tolerated. Routine partial sleep depriv
ation is a practical and effective method of obtaining sleep and thus maxim
izing the information obtained from a single EEG.