Current research in our sleep laboratory consists of studies on anticonvulsant drugs on the structure of sleep, and effects of a sleep agent on sleep in patients with epilepsy.
Research Overview
Dr. Bazil's research interests include the pharmacology of sleep disorders and the impact of sleep disorders on neurological diseases, besides clinical care of patients with sleep disorders and epilepsy.
Dr. Westwood has a strong interest in behavioral neurology with a particular interest in the relationship of sleep and neurodegenerative disorders. During medical school he worked with Dr. Goedert and Dr. Spillantini at Cambridge University, using an animal model of frontotemporal dementia. Dr. Westwood went on to work on the relationship of anxiety in aphasia with Dr. Martin Albert, Director of the Harold Goodglass Aphasia Research Center, and Dr. Cahana-Amitay. He has undertaken projects in neuroepidemiology in the Framingham Heart Study under the mentorship of Dr. Sudha Seshadri. These have included the relationship of insulin-like growth factor-1 and Alzheimer's disease, as well as sleep duration and development of dementia. In addition to clinical research, Dr. Westwood also has a strong interest in clinical teaching.
Recent Publications
Previous Publications
- Bazil CW. Sleep and Epilepsy. Semin Neurol 2017 37:407-12.
- Bazil CW, Dave J, Cole J, Stalvey J, Drake E. Pregabalin increases slow-wave sleep and may improve attention in patients with partial epilepsy and insomnia. Epilepsy & Behavior 2012; 23:422-5.
- Xu X, Brandenburg NA, McDermott AM, Bazil CW. Sleep Disturbances Reported by Refractory Partial-Onset Epilepsy Patients Receiving Polytherapy. Epilepsia 2006; 47(7):1176-83.
- Bazil CW, Battista J, Basner RC. Effects of levetiracetam on sleep in normal volunteers Epilepsy & Behavior 2005; 7(3):539-542.
- Bazil CW, Battista J, Basner RC. Gabapentin improves sleep in the presence of alcohol. J Clin Sleep Med 2005; 1:284-7.
- Bazil CW. Sleep disturbances in epilepsy patients. Curr Neurol Neurosci Rep 2005; 5:297-8.
- Bazil CW. Nocturnal seizures. Seminars in Neurology 2004;24:293-300.
- Bazil CW. Epilepsy and sleep disturbance. Epilepsy & Behavior 2003;4:S39-S45.
- Bazil CW, Legros B, Kenny E. Sleep structure in patients with psychogenic nonepileptic seizures. Epilepsy & Behavior 2003; 4(4):395-398.
- Bazil CW. Effects of anticonvulsants on sleep structure: are all drugs equal? CNS Drugs 2003;17(10)719-728.
- Bazil, CW. Sleep-related epilepsy. (2003) Curr Neurol Neurosci Rep 3(2):167-172.
- Legros B, Bazil CW. (2003) Effects of antiepileptic drugs on sleep architecture: A pilot study. Sleep Medicine 4(1):51-55.
- Bazil CW (2002) Sleep and epilepsy. Seminars in Neurology 22:321-327. Bazil CW, Anderson CT (2001) Sleep structure following status epilepticus. Sleep Medicine 2:447-449.
- Herman ST, Walczak TS, Bazil CW (2001) Distribution of partial seizures during the sleep-wake cycle: Differences by seizure onset site. Neurology 56: 1453-1458.
- Bazil CW, Short DW, Crispin D, Zheng W (2000) Patients with intractable epilepsy have low melatonin, which increases following seizures. Neurology 55:1746-8.
- Bazil CW (2000) Sleep and Epilepsy. Current Opinion in Neurology 13:171-5.
- Bazil CW, Castro LHM, Walczak TS (2000) Reduction of rapid eye movement sleep by diurnal and nocturnal seizures in temporal lobe epilepsy. Arch Neurol 57:363-8.
