Characterization of Sleep in Alternating Hemiplegia of Childhood
An International Survey
Correspondence
Prof. Balestrini
s.balestrini@ucl.ac.uk
Francesco Fortunato,1,2,3 Umesh Vivekananda,1 Katherine Elizabeth Behl,4 Rosaria Vavassori,5,6 Ramona Cordani,7 Michela Stagnaro,7 Elisa De Grandis,7,8 Sanjay M. Sisodiya,1,2 and Simona Balestrini1,2,9,10
Abstract
Background and Objectives
Few studies have investigated sleep features in people with alternating hemiplegia of childhood (AHC). In this study, we present a bespoke survey of individuals with AHC to characterize sleep disturbances in this condition.
Methods
A cross-sectional survey was disseminated through the UK and Italian AHC family associations, addressing their registered families with at least 1 child or adult with a confirmed diagnosis of AHC by their national reference centers and who had consented to be contacted by email. The entire questionnaire implemented in the online surveys was organized into 3 main sections and included the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) scale. This scale ranges from 0 to 21, with higher scores indicating poorer sleep quality. Internal consistency of the questionnaire was assessed using the Cronbach’s alpha statistic.
The Open Access Link to the Article is on Neurology Genetics