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Objectives: To acquire current information on sleep habits, disturbances and treatment options in the adult population of Austria and compare results with previously collected data., Materials and Methods: A representative sample of the Austrian population (women: n = 522, men: n = 478)., Results: Seventy-five percent reported daily sleep-duration between 6 and 8 h. In 76%, sleep latency was <30 min, 15% described difficulties in sleep maintenance. Longer sleep on weekends was prevalent in 54%, 23% took a nap. Concerning sleep environment, 31% reported sleeping alone; the rest had a constant or occasional bed partner. Sleep disturbances such as sleep disruption or prolonged sleep latency were reported by 18%. Predominant symptoms included snoring/apneas (22%), nightmares (22%) and restless legs (21%). Daytime tiredness was reported by 17% and sleepiness by 20%. Twenty-four percent did not take treatment. Only 7% asked for medical help: 96% consulted their physician; 47% tried to change their way of living. Sleep promoting drugs were taken by 7%. Sleep improving measures were: sleep promoters (45%), general measures (20%), consultation of general practitioner (20%), psychotherapy (6%), and technical tools (3%). Comparison with a dataset of 1993 revealed only a slight increase in short sleepers and a slight decrease in long sleepers., Conclusions: Subjectively reported sleep disorders proved to be relatively stable between 1993 and 2007., (Copyright © 2010 The Authors. Journal compilation © 2010 Blackwell Munksgaard.)

Objectives: In a series of 504 patients with multiple sclerosis (MS), quality of life (QOL) and its main clinical and demographic determinants were assessed in comparison with healthy individuals., Materials and Methods: A postal questionnaire with self-completed measures of disability (Expanded Disability Status Scale, EDSS), QOL (Quality of Life Index, QLI), depressive mood (Self-rating Depression Scale, SDS), fatigue severity (Fatigue Severity Scale, FSS) and sleep quality (Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index, PSQI) was sent to this sample of MS patients., Results: Most patients were severely disabled; almost half were mildly to severely depressed, suffering from reduced sleep quality and/or fatigue. The multiple sclerosis patients had significantly lower QLI scores than healthy controls. EDSS and SDS scores were found to be predictors of global QLI score. Regarding the different QLI domains, mean SDS scores remained predictive for all QLI items, while mean EDSS, PSQI and FSS scores were only predictive for physical domains., Conclusion: Our study clearly demonstrates that depressive mood is the main factor influencing QOL. The disability status, fatigue and reduced sleep quality have an impact mainly on physical domains of life quality.

Objectives: Sleep disorders and depression are frequent in patients with Parkinson's disease (PD). However, the exact prevalence and the causality are still unknown., Patients and Methods: We interviewed 56 consecutive PD patients and 59 age-matched healthy controls concerning sleep disorders and depression. Sleep Disorders Questionnaire (SDQ) and Zung Depression Scale (ZDS) were used as standardized valid and reliable psychometric tests., Results: Patients with PD had significantly higher values in the clinical-diagnostic scale narcolepsy (P=0.01), correlating with the L-dopa dose (P=0.007). Concerning sleep apnea (P=0.49), psychiatric sleep disorder (P=1.00) and periodic limb movement disorder (P=0.12), no significant difference could be identified. PD patients showed significantly higher depression scores than healthy control subjects (P=0.01), increasing with the duration of PD (P=0.04)., Conclusion: The significant higher narcolepsy score in PD patients must be seen due to dopaminergic medication and PD-specific neurodegeneration and immobility rather than due to narcolepsy. This leads to the conclusion that extreme caution is advised when carrying out the SDQ and interpreting the results in various persons and patient groups with motor problems. The strong association of depression, disease severity and sleep disorders in PD patients underlines the importance of identifying and treating both conditions in these patients.

Purpose: To compare the self-reported estimation of sleep quality evaluated by the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) and life quality assessed by the Quality of Life Index (QLI)., Background: The PSQI comprised 19 questions and assessed a wide variety of factors relating to sleep quality. The QLI consisted of 10 items for self assessment of different dimensions of life quality., Subjects: A representative Austrian sample (n = 1049) aged above 15 years., Procedure: Interviews in the homes of the participants., Results: 32.1% could be classified as poor sleepers (37% females, 26.5% males). Sleep quality decreased with increasing age, especially in women. Overall quality of life was highest in younger (15-29 years) and lowest in elderly subjects (over 50 years). Life quality decreased with increasing age. Between subjective sleep quality and quality of life a moderate, significant correlation was found (r2= 0.6721)., Conclusions: Complaints about a bad quality of sleep could be used as a screening method in the exploration of patients' quality of life (QoL).

Objectives: 1) To examine the diagnostic value of the newly proposed manual carpal compression test (mCCT). 2) To evaluate the test efficacy of a serial use of mCCT and Phalen's test (PT) in the clinical diagnosis of carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS) in comparison with standard nerve conduction studies., Materials and Methods: Prospective, controlled study of 47 patients with 63 symptomatic CTS hands according to clinical as well as electrophysiological criteria. In the control group, 39 hands of 20 healthy volunteers were examined. Clinical neurological examination including mCCT and PT and standard nerve conduction studies were always performed: sensory nerve conduction velocity third and fifth digit to wrist, median distal motor latency. Calculation of sensitivity, specificity, positive and negative predictive value for the mCCT, PT and mCCT+PT, i.e. at least one of both tests positive after sequential application., Results: Sensitivity 83% for mCCT, 79% for PT and 92% for mCCT+PT. Specificity 92% for all three conditions. Excellent positive predictive value of 95% and good negative predictive value of 88% for mCCT+PT., Conclusion: The serial application of mCCT and PT is very useful in the clinical diagnosis of CTS. This finding facilitates the clinical diagnosis by the primary physician, it helps to improve referral decisions to electrophysiological departments and other ancillary examinations and may reduce costs.

In a retrospective study, the occurrence of epileptiform activity (EA) in routine EEG records of epileptic patients was investigated. Data were obtained from 1078 EEGs of 373 patients (199 men and 174 women; aged 17-87 (mean 34.2 +/-14.7)). The percentage of 38% of patients with EA in a single EEG could be increased to 77% by repeated records. After the 5th record however, the gain in new information decreased remarkably. No differences between seizure types could be detected. There was a relationship between EA and nonspecific EEG abnormalities. High EA rates were found for short time intervals since last seizure, young patients, long durations of the seizure disorder and for high seizure frequencies.