The relationship between epilepsy, sleep disorders, and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) in children: A review of the literature.

OBJECTIVE: To analyze the relationship between epilepsy, sleep disorders, and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).

BIBLIOGRAPHIC SEARCH: A literature search of the PubMed database was performed using the following key words: epilepsy, sleep, and ADHD. In total, 91 articles were located in PubMed, 34 were selected for abstract reading and twelve articles were reviewed, in which the main objectives were examine the relationship between epilepsy, sleep and ADHD from several perspectives, including epidemiology, effect of comorbidities on academic performance and the factors leading to diagnostic difficulties among these three disorders.

RESULTS: Among the main findings, there were difficulties to start and maintain sleep in patients with epilepsy and ADHD, reduction in sleep efficiency, decreased seizure threshold, as well as behavioral and cognitive deficits in both groups.

CONCLUSIONS: It is important to know which symptom is the predominant one. For this reason, children and adolescents with epilepsy, ADHD and sleep disorders need to be assessed carefully before initiating treatment. Our review concluded that there is an important link in this pathological triad.