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.

Evaluation "in-car" countermeasures to sleepiness: cold air and radio.

Abstract: The efficacy of putative"in-car"countermeasures to driver sleepiness is unknown. Sixteen young adult drivers within the normal range for the Epworth Sleepiness Scale (ESS), had their sleep restricted to 5 hours the night before, and drove an interactive car simulator in the afternoon for 2.5 hours, under monotonous conditions. After 30 minutes of driving they were exposed to: (1) cold air to the face (AIR) from the vehicle's air conditioning vents, (2) listening to the vehicle's radio/tape (RADIO) according to subjects' choice, or (3) NIL treatment. The active treatments typified those experienced under real driving conditions. Drifting over lane markings were"incidents."EEGs were recorded and spectrally analyzed in the alpha and theta range. Subjects responded to the Karolinska Sleepiness Scale (KSS) every 200 seconds. Overall, RADIO and AIR had no significant effects on incidents, although there was a trend for RADIO to reduce incidents, particularly during the first 30 minutes, when AIR also had some effect. KSS scores were significantly lower for RADIO for most of the drive, whereas AIR had only transient and non-significant effects. The EEG showed no significant effects of the active treatments. Compared with other countermeasures such as caffeine and a brief nap, which we have previously shown to be more effective (using the same equipment and protocols), AIR and RADIO are at best only temporary expedients to reduce driver sleepiness, perhaps enabling drivers to find a suitable place to stop, take a break and avail themselves of caffeine and a nap. Language: en

Sleep disorder among medical students: Relationship to their academic performance

Abstract: Background: Medical students are exposed to a significant level of pressure due to academic demands. Their sleep pattern is characterized by insufficient sleep duration, delayed sleep onset, and occurrence of napping episodes during the day. Objective: To examine the prevalence of sleep disorder among medical students and investigate any relationship between sleep disorder and academic performance. Methods: This is a cross-sectional self-administered questionnaire-based study. The participants were medical students of the first, second, and third academic years. The Epworth Sleepiness Scale (ESS) was also included to identify sleep disorder and grade point average was recorded for academic performance. Results: There were 491 responses with a response rate of 55%. The ESS score demonstrated that 36.6% of participants were considered to have abnormal sleep habits, with a statistically significant increase in female students ( p ¼ 0.000). Sleeping between 6–10 h per day was associated with normal ESS scores ( p ¼ 0.019) as well as the academic grades � 3.75. Abnormal ESS scores were associated with lower academic achievement ( p ¼ 0.002). Conclusion: A high prevalence of sleep disorder was found in this group of students, specifically female students. Analysis of the relationship between sleep disorder and academic performance indicates a significant relationship between abnormal ESS scores, total sleeping hours, and academic performance.

Predictors of sleepiness in epilepsy patients.

Abstract: Sleepiness, a common complaint of epilepsy patients, is frequently attributed to antiepileptic medications. To determine predictors of subjective sleepiness in epilepsy patients, we gave self-administered, validated surveys of sleepiness [Epworth sleepiness scale (our major outcome measure)] and sleep apnea [sleep apnea scale of the sleep disorders questionnaire (SA/SDQ)] to 158 epilepsy patients and 68 neurology patients without epilepsy (controls). An elevated Epworth score (>10) was more likely in epilepsy patients compared to controls after controlling for age and gender (p 0.10) of elevated Epworth score. Before attributing sleepiness in epilepsy patients to antiepileptic medications or uncontrolled seizures, clinicians should consider the possibility of a coexisting sleep disorder.

Fatigue and depression are associated with poor quality of life in ALS

Abstract: Twenty-five ALS subjects filled out five questionnaires: the ALS Functional Rating Scale, Multidimensional Fatigue Inventory, multidimensional McGill Quality of Life, Center of Epidemiologic Study--Depression Scale, and the Epworth Sleepiness Scale. Fatigue, depression, and excessive somnolence are more pronounced in ALS subjects than in normal controls. Both fatigue and depression are associated with poorer quality of life in subjects with ALS, and should be treated aggressively.

Clinical, polysomnographic and genome-wide association analyses of narcolepsy with cataplexy: a European Narcolepsy Network study

Abstract: The aim of this study was to describe the clinical and PSG characteristics of narcolepsy with cataplexy and their genetic predisposition by using the retrospective patient database of the European Narcolepsy Network (EU-NN). We have analysed retrospective data of 1099 patients with narcolepsy diagnosed according to International Classification of Sleep Disorders-2. Demographic and clinical characteristics, polysomnography and multiple sleep latency test data, hypocretin-1 levels, and genome-wide genotypes were available. We found a significantly lower age at sleepiness onset (men versus women: 23.74 ± 12.43 versus 21.49 ± 11.83, P = 0.003) and longer diagnostic delay in women (men versus women: 13.82 ± 13.79 versus 15.62 ± 14.94, P = 0.044). The mean diagnostic delay was 14.63 ± 14.31 years, and longer delay was associated with higher body mass index. The best predictors of short diagnostic delay were young age at diagnosis, cataplexy as the first symptom and higher frequency of cataplexy attacks. The mean multiple sleep latency negatively correlated with Epworth Sleepiness Scale (ESS) and with the number of sleep-onset rapid eye movement periods (SOREMPs), but none of the polysomnographic variables was associated with subjective or objective measures of sleepiness. Variant rs2859998 in UBXN2B gene showed a strong association (P = 1.28E-07) with the age at onset of excessive daytime sleepiness, and rs12425451 near the transcription factor TEAD4 (P = 1.97E-07) with the age at onset of cataplexy. Altogether, our results indicate that the diagnostic delay remains extremely long, age and gender substantially affect symptoms, and that a genetic predisposition affects the age at onset of symptoms.