Sleep and wakefulness in somnambulism: A spectral analysis study

Objective: The sleep structure and the dynamics of EEG slow-wave activity (SWA) were investigated in 12 young adults and age- and gender-matched controls. Methods: Polysomnography was performed in subjects with well-docurnented chronic sleepwalking and in matched controls. Blinded visual scoring was...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Journal of psychosomatic research 2001-08, Vol.51 (2), p.411-416
Main Authors: Guilleminault, C, Poyares, D, Abat, F, Palombini, L
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Adult
Arousal
Arousal - physiology
Brain - physiopathology
Circadian rhythms
Confusional states
Electroencephalography
Electromyography
Female
Humans
Hypersynchronic delta
Male
Microarousal
Polysomnography
Sleep cycles
Sleep disorders
Sleep fragmentation
Sleep Wake Disorders - diagnosis
Sleep Wake Disorders - epidemiology
Sleep Wake Disorders - physiopathology
Sleep, REM - physiology
Slow-wave activity
Somnambulism
Somnambulism - epidemiology
Somnambulism - physiopathology
Wakefulness - physiology
Young adults
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Summary:Objective: The sleep structure and the dynamics of EEG slow-wave activity (SWA) were investigated in 12 young adults and age- and gender-matched controls. Methods: Polysomnography was performed in subjects with well-docurnented chronic sleepwalking and in matched controls. Blinded visual scoring was performed using the international criteria from the Rechtschaffen and Kales atlas [A manual of standardized technology, techniques and scoring systems for sleep stages of human subjects. Los Angeles: UCLA Brain Information Service, Brain Research Institute, 1968.] and by determining the presence of microarousals as defined in the American Sleep Disorders Association (ASDA) atlas [Sleep 15 (1992) 173.]. An evaluation of SWA overnight was performed on total nocturnal sleep to determine if a difference existed between groups of subjects, since sleepwalking usually originates with slow-wave sleep. Investigation of the delta power in successive nonoverlapping 4-second windows in the 32 seconds just prior to EMG activity associated with a confusional arousal was also conducted. One central EEG lead was used for all analyses. Results: Somnambulistic individuals experienced more disturbed sleep than controls during the first NREM–REM sleep cycle. They had a higher number of ASDA arousals and presented lower peak of SWA during the first cycle that led to a lower SWA decline overnight. When the investigation focused on the short segment immediately preceding a confusional arousal, they presented an important increase in the relative power of low delta (0.75–2 Hz) just prior to the confusional arousal. Conclusion: Sleepwalkers undergo disturbed nocturnal sleep at the beginning of the night. The increased power of low delta just prior to the confusional arousal experienced may not be related to Stages 3–4 NREM sleep. We hypothesize that it may be translated as a cortical reaction to brain activation.
ISSN:0022-3999
1879-1360
DOI:10.1016/S0022-3999(01)00187-8