Efficacy of sleep deprivation as an activation procedure in epilepsy patients.

The primary purpose of this article is to determine whether sleep deprivation (SD) of 24 h or longer has been demonstrated to be an effective procedure for eliciting epileptiform and/or seizure patterns in the EEG in epilepsy patients as compared with those of nonepileptics. The relevant literature is reviewed, first chronologically and then critically. Methodological problems are discussed. Although no absolutely definitive study has been done, the preponderance of evidence supports the conclusion that SD is effective in activating the EEGs of epileptics. Recommendations concerning the application of SD are offered.