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Failure of Naloxone to Modify Electroencephalogram Interictal Epileptiform Discharges in Patients with Primary Generalized Epilepsy After Sleep Deprivation
Author(s) -
Marrosu Francesco,
Giagheddu Marcello,
Fratta Walter
Publication year - 1996
Publication title -
epilepsia
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.687
H-Index - 191
eISSN - 1528-1167
pISSN - 0013-9580
DOI - 10.1111/j.1528-1157.1996.tb00512.x
Subject(s) - ictal , (+) naloxone , epilepsy , sleep deprivation , medicine , anesthesia , sleep (system call) , psychology , neuroscience , opioid , circadian rhythm , receptor , computer science , operating system
Summary: Sleep deprivation (SD) is a method widely used to activate EEG epileptiform activity, but the basis of this effect remains unknown. One possibility is that SD shares a common mechanism with physical and psychological stresses that also precipitate seizures. Because endogenous opioids are released during stress, opioids may play a role in enhancing epileptiform EEG patterns after SD. We report the effects of SD on EEG epileptiform activity in a small but highly homogeneous population of 13 epileptic patients with idiopathic (primary) generalized epilepsy (IGE). SD increased EEG interictal epileptiform discharges (IEDs); this activation was not modified by naloxone (NAL). Our results, in contrast to those of previous investigations of localization‐related epilepsy, which showed an increase in IEDs after NAL administration, suggest a possible difference in the mechanism whereby SD enhances IEDs in IGE and localization‐related epilepsy.