The effect of lacosamide monotherapy on sleep architecture in patients with epilepsy: a preliminary evidence

• Published in: Journal of Neural Transmission 2023-02, Vol.130 (2), p.87-95
• Main Authors: Lupo, Clementina, Fernandes, Mariana, Spanetta, Matteo, Sarbu, Oana Elena, Carnovale, Carola, Di Gioia, Battista, Placidi, Fabio, Izzi, Francesca, Mercuri, Nicola Biagio, Liguori, Claudio
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Acetamides - therapeutic use; Anticonvulsants - therapeutic use; Epilepsy - complications; Epilepsy - drug therapy; Female; Humans; Lacosamide - therapeutic use; Male; Medicine; Medicine & Public Health; Neurology; Neurology and Preclinical Neurological Studies - Original Article; Neurosciences; Psychiatry; Seizures - drug therapy; Sleep; Treatment Outcome
• ISSN: 0300-9564; 1435-1463
• DOI: 10.1007/s00702-022-02581-7

Lacosamide (LCM) is a third-generation antiseizure medication (ASM), and its effect on sleep architecture was supported by a few studies in patients with drug-resistant epilepsy in which LCM was used as an add-on treatment. To gather knowledge on ASMs effects on sleep, this study aimed at evaluating the effects of LCM monotherapy on sleep in patients with focal epilepsy. Ten patients diagnosed with epilepsy (mean age 58.00 ± 14.77, 60.0% female, mean monthly seizure frequency 1.20 ± 2.48) starting LCM as monotherapy were included. Sleep architecture was assessed through polysomnography at baseline and at the 6-month follow-up visit. A significant decrease was observed in seizure frequency ( p  = 0.004), being all patients seizure-free at follow-up. At baseline, eight patients had poor sleep efficiency (