Sleep heart rate circadian rhythm variability in temporal lobe epileptic Egyptian children

Mohammed Al-Biltagi¹*, Osama Abd Rab Elrasoul Tolba¹, Tarek mohamed Elgohary¹, Osama Abo Elmagd Elkholy² and Rasha Abdelgelil Abdelwanis¹

¹Pediatric Department, Faculty of Medicine, Tanta University, Tanta, Gharbia Governate, Egypt.

²Neuropsychiatry, Faculty of medicine, Alexandria University Egypt.

*Corresponding Author: Email: mbelrem@hotmail.com; Tel: +20102209797 /+973-39545472/ Fax: +973-17-590495

Accepted 03 December, 2012

Abstract

The aim of this study was to measure interictal circadian rhythm variability of heart rate (HR) in Egyptian children with temporal lobe epilepsy (TLE) using a 24 hours ECG recording. A group of 40 children suffering from partial epilepsy subdivided into group A with 21 children who had controlled temporal lobe epilepsy and group B with 20 children suffered uncontrolled temporal lobe epilepsy. A third group of 40 healthy children was studied as a control group. An ambulatory two channel-5-lead electrocardiography (ECG) recording was performed in both epileptic children and the controls. A computer assisted analysis of heart rhythm and heart rate variability recorded over a 24 hours period of normal daily activity of the children was done. There was lower heart rate variability (HRV) in temporal lobe epileptic children than in normal controls. Also the HRV was lower in children with uncontrolled TLE than in children with controlled TLE. There was a disturbance of the autonomic nervous system (ANS) function in epileptic children with reduction of the vagal tone compared to normal children as indicated by the differences in HRV which suggests that the parasympathetic component of the ANS is strongly implicated in the pathogenesis of epilepsy.

Keywords: Egyptian Children; Heart Rate Variability; Sleep Circadian Rhythm; Temporal Lobe Epilepsy.