Relationship between sleep quality and cognitive performance in patients with epilepsy

•This study assessed sleep characteristics and cognitive impairment in epilepsy.•Forty-four percent of patients had impaired sleep quality and 20% excessive daytime sleepiness.•Sleep quality did not independently negatively impact cognitive function.•Poor sleep quality was associated with anxiety/depression symptoms and worse QoL. To investigate the relationship between self-reported sleep quality and cognitive function in patients with epilepsy (PWE), as well as anxiety and depressive symptoms and patient quality of life (QoL). This multicenter cross-sectional study included PWE aged ≥12 years who were receiving ≥1 anti-seizure medication (ASM) and had not been diagnosed with a sleep disorder. Patients completed the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI), the Epworth Sleepiness Scale (ESS), the Montreal Cognitive Assessment test (MoCA), the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS), and the Quality of Life in Epilepsy Inventory-10 (QOLIE-10). The study enrolled 150 patients aged 16–83 years, mean age (standard deviation [SD]) 40.6 (15.2) years; 58.7% were female and 75.3% had focal epilepsy. Mean (SD) PSQI score was 4.71 (3.08), 44.4% of patients had impaired sleep quality (PSQI score ≥5), 19.9% had pathologic excessive daytime sleepiness (ESS score >12), and 32.7% had mild cognitive impairment (MoCA score