Epworth Sleepiness Scale

About: Epworth Sleepiness Scale is a research topic. Over the lifetime, 4742 publications have been published within this topic receiving 155088 citations.

Sleepiness or fatigue? Can we detect treatable causes of tiredness in primary Sjögren’s syndrome?

Abstract: Objective. To study the prevalence of fatigue and daytime sleepiness in primary SS (pSS) and analyse predicting sleep disturbing factors and other potential determinants of fatigue and sleepiness. Method. Seventy-two consecutive pSS patients and 59 age-matched healthy controls were compared. Assessment instruments were profile of fatigue (ProF), visual analogue scale fatigue, Epworth Sleepiness Scale (ESS), Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale, restless legs syndrome (RLS) Diagnostic Criteria and Lund University Sleep Questionnaire. In addition, markers of immune disturbance, inflammation and disease activity using the European League Against Rheumatism SS Disease Activity Index were analysed in patients. Results. Fatigue, especially somatic fatigue, is the main problem for pSS patients. Sleepiness is a minor problem. Patients had significantly more often anxiety, nocturia and woke up more frequently during the night than controls. The factors that predicted daytime fatigue in pSS patients were anxiety and nightly awakenings due to pain. Nocturia was frequent but was not associated with fatigue or sleepiness. RLS, depression and sicca symptoms contributed to fatigue in the univariate regression analysis only. Conclusions. This is the first study demonstrating not only the presence of disturbed sleep, but also that nightly musculoskeletal pain and other sleep disturbing factors and anxiety significantly influence fatigue. Management strategies aimed at these aspects should therefore be included in future trials for treatment of fatigue in pSS.

Long-term use of pitolisant to treat patients with narcolepsy: Harmony III Study

Abstract: STUDY OBJECTIVES: To asses the long-term safety and efficacy of pitolisant, an histamine H3-receptor antagonist, on narcolepsy. METHODS: This open-label, single-arm, pragmatic study, recruited adult patients with narcolepsy and Epworth Sleepiness Scale (ESS) score ≥12. After a titration period, patients were treated for up to 1 year with oral pitolisant once-a-day at up to 40 mg. Concomitant stimulants and anti-cataplectic agents were allowed. The primary endpoint was safety; secondary endpoints included ESS, cataplexy, and other diary parameters. RESULTS: Patients (n = 102, 75 with cataplexy) received pitolisant, for the first time in 73 of them. Sixty-eight patients (51 with cataplexy) completed the 12-month treatment. Common treatment-emergent adverse events were headache (11.8% of patients), insomnia (8.8%), weight gain (7.8%), anxiety (6.9%), depressive symptoms (4.9%), and nausea (4.9%). Seven patients had a serious adverse effect, unrelated to pitolisant except for a possibly related miscarriage. One-third of patients stopped pitolisant, mostly (19.6%) for insufficient benefit. ESS score decreased by 4.6 ± 0.6. Two-thirds of patients completing the treatment were responders (ESS ≤ 10 or ESS decrease ≥ 3), and one third had normalized ESS (≤10). Complete and partial cataplexy, hallucinations, sleep paralysis, and sleep attacks were reduced by 76%, 65%, 54%, 63%, and 27%, respectively. Pitolisant as monotherapy (43% of patients) was better tolerated and more efficacious on ESS than on add-on, but efficacy was maintained in this last case. CONCLUSIONS: Long-term safety and efficacy of pitolisant on daytime sleepiness, cataplexy, hallucinations, and sleep paralysis is confirmed.

Sleep and motor performance in on-call internal medicine residents.

Abstract: STUDY OBJECTIVES To compare vigilance and performance among internal medicine residents doing in-house call versus residents not doing in-house call. DESIGN Prospective study of resident cohorts with repeated testing. SETTING University Teaching Hospital. PARTICIPANTS Internal medicine residents doing in-house call and residents not doing in-house call (pathology, endocrinology) (controls). MEASUREMENTS AND RESULTS Subjective sleepiness scores (daily Stanford Sleepiness Scale and Epworth Sleepiness Scale at start and end of the test period), actigraphy, and daily sleep logs as well as regular psychomotor vigilance testing using a Palm version (Walter Reed Army Institute of Research) of the Psychomotor Vigilance Test (PVT). Subjects were enrolled for a period of 28 to 32 days, which included 4 to 6 on-call nights for the internal medicine residents. Controls took call from home. Participants were compensated for their time. RESULTS Twenty residents were evaluated, 13 internal medicine and 7 controls. Overall median reaction time was slower in the internal medicine residents (264.7 +/- 102.9 vs 239.2 +/- 26.1 milliseconds; P < .001). Internal medicine residents showed no difference in reaction time postcall versus other periods (269.9 +/- 131.2 vs 263.6 +/- 95.6; P = .65). Actigraphic sleep time was shorter during on-call than noncall nights and in internal medicine residents as compared with controls (287.48 +/- 143.8 vs 453.49 +/- 178.5 and 476.08 +/- 71.9 minutes; P < .001). Internal medicine residents had significantly greater major and minor reaction-time lapses compared with controls (1.26 +/- 3.4 vs 0.53 +/- 1.1 & 2.4 +/- 7.4 vs 0.45 +/- 1.0; P < .001). They reported increased sleepiness on postcall days compared with the start of their call (Stanford Sleepiness Scale: 3.26 +/- 1.2 vs 2.22 +/- 0.8; P < .001) but had scores similar to those of controls by their next call (2.22 +/- 0.8 vs 2.07 +/- 0.8; P = .13). CONCLUSIONS Internal medicine residents have impaired reaction time and reduced vigilance compared with controls. Despite subjective improvements in sleepiness postcall, there was no change in their objective performance across the study period, suggesting no recovery. Internal medicine residents did not get extra sleep on postcall nights in an attempt to recover their lost sleep time. Implications for residents' well-being and patient care remain unclear.

Daytime Sleepiness Is Associated with Decreased Default Mode Network Connectivity in Both Young and Cognitively Intact Elderly Subjects

Abstract: Study Objectives: Sleep deprivation and daytime somnolence impair numerous aspects of physical, cognitive, and memory performance. However, most studies examining the effect of somnolence on brain function focus on acute sleep restriction in young adults. We examine the relationship between chronic daytime somnolence and connectivity in six brain networks in both young and elderly subjects using stimulus-free resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging. Design: Cross-sectional. Setting: Outpatient research at the Massachusetts General Hospital. Participants: Young (n = 27) and elderly (n = 84) healthy, cognitively normal volunteers. Interventions: None. Measurements and Results: Compared with young subjects, cognitively normal elderly adults report less daytime somnolence on the Epworth Sleepiness Scale (ESS) (P = 0.019) and display reduced default mode network (DMN) connectivity (P = 0.004). Across all subjects, increasing daytime sleepiness was associated with decreasing functional connectivity in the DMN (P = 0.003, partial r of ESS = -0.29). There was no difference in the slope of this relationship between young adults and elderly subjects. No other cortical networks were correlated with daytime sleepiness. Daytime sleepiness and DMN connectivity were not related to sex, brain structure, or body mass index. Conclusions: These findings suggest that daytime sleepiness is associated with impaired connectivity of the DMN in a manner that is distinct from the effects of aging. This association is important to consider in any study using DMN connectivity as a biomarker. Additionally, these results may help identify those subjects at risk for future memory decline.

The upper airway and sleep apnoea in the Prader-Willi syndrome

Abstract: Obesity, short stature, hypotonia and excessive daytime sleepiness are characteristic features of the Prader-Willi syndrome. Excessive daytime sleepiness has been attributed to obstructive sleep apnoea (OSA). To investigate the role of anatomical factors in OSA in the Prader-Willi syndrome, clinical and ENT assessment, radiology of the upper airway and polysomnography including sleep oximetry were done in 14 subjects. Excessive daytime sleepiness was present in eight of 14 subjects as determined by a mean sleep latency to non-rapid eye movement stage I-II of 9 (Epworth Sleepiness scale). Seven subjects were snorers or mouth breathers and dental abnormalities were present in 11. Sleep apnoea, as determined by a combined apnoea-hypopnoea index of more than 10 respiratory events per hour was present in 12 of 14 subjects. On clinical assessment, the nasopharynx, oropharynx and hypopharynx were small in one subject. No subject had redundant pharyngeal mucosa or an enlarged tongue. However, radiological studies performed in the awake supine posture showed a slight reduction in the cross-sectional area in nine subjects at the oropharyngeal level and in four subjects at the nasopharyngeal level as compared with normal control subjects. Sleep apnoea and minor radiological evidence of narrowing of the upper airway are common in the Prader-Willi syndrome, although clinical otolaryngological examination is often unremarkable. Excessive daytime sleepiness occurs in approximately 50% of all patients with Prader-Willi syndrome. Although obstructive sleep apnoea is one important factor related to sleepiness, an additional central disturbance of sleep mechanisms is present.