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Interictal High Frequency Oscillations Detected with Simultaneous Magnetoencephalography and Electroencephalography as Biomarker of Pediatric Epilepsy
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Altered sleeping arrangements in pediatric patients with epilepsy

J Williams1, B Lange, G Sharp

  • 1Department of Pediatrics, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, and Arkansas Children's Hospital, Little Rock 72202, USA.

Clinical Pediatrics
|December 8, 2000
PubMed

Insights

Parental concerns about seizures in children with epilepsy often lead to changes in sleep arrangements, indicating potential parental anxiety. Pediatricians should consider these sleep pattern shifts as a sign of underlying anxiety that may require attention.

Area of Science:

  • Pediatric Neurology
  • Child Psychology
  • Behavioral Science

Background:

  • Parental anxiety regarding seizure occurrence in children with epilepsy can influence home environment dynamics.
  • Changes in children's sleeping arrangements may reflect parental concerns and coping mechanisms.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the association between parental fears of seizure occurrence and changes in sleeping arrangements for children with epilepsy.
  • To compare these changes in children with epilepsy to those with diabetes.

Main Methods:

  • Cross-sectional study utilizing questionnaires for parents of children with epilepsy (n=179) and a comparison group of children with diabetes (n=155).
  • Data collected on demographics, medical history, and sleeping arrangements.
  • Logistic regression analysis to determine associations.

Main Results:

  • Twenty-two percent (40/179) of children with epilepsy exhibited a shift to less independent sleeping arrangements.
  • Parental concern over seizure occurrence was strongly associated with these changes (p<0.001).
  • Only 8% (13/155) of children with diabetes showed similar changes in sleep patterns.

Conclusions:

  • Changes in sleeping arrangements for children with epilepsy are significantly linked to parental anxiety about seizures.
  • This behavioral shift may serve as an indicator for pediatricians to assess and address parental anxiety.
  • Monitoring sleep pattern changes can offer insights into the psychosocial impact of epilepsy on families.

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