Sleep and epilepsy.

The relationship of sleep and epilepsy demonstrates the delicate association of brain physiology and dysfunction. Sleep affects the distribution and frequency of epileptiform discharges in humans and influences the rate of kindling in animals. Epileptic discharges, on the other hand, alter sleep regulation and provoke sleep disruption.

Obstructive sleep apnea in epilepsy.

Obstructive sleep apnea can affect an individual with epilepsy profoundly. These relatively common disorders can coexist and potentially exacerbate each other. The identification and appropriate treatment of OSA may have far-reaching consequences in improving a patient's quality of life and recurrence of seizures.

Cluster headaches simulating parasomnias.

Nocturnal episodes of agitated arousal in otherwise healthy young children are often related to nonrapid eye movement parasomnias (night terrors). However, in patients with acute onset or increased frequency of parasomnias, organic causes of discomfort must be excluded. We report four young children whose parasomnias were caused by nocturnal cluster headaches and who responded to indomethacin dramatically.