TY - JOUR
T1 - Analysis of polysomnographic events surrounding 252 slow-wave sleep arousals in thirty-eight adults with injurious sleepwalking and sleep terrors
AU - Schenck, Carlos H.
AU - Pareja, Juan A.
AU - Patterson, Andrea L.
AU - Mahowald, Mark W.
PY - 1998/8/26
Y1 - 1998/8/26
N2 - A systematic study of electrophysiologic events [eight-channel EEG, electrocardiogram, electromyogram (EMGs)] surrounding 252 arousals from slow- wave sleep (SWS) in adults with sleepwalking (SW) and sleep terrors (ST) is reported. Hospital-based, overnight polysomnographic monitoring was conducted in 38 adults presenting to a sleep disorders center with injurious SW, ST (21 males, 17 females; mean age 29 years, range 17-69 years). Before nonbehavioral or behavioral arousals from SWS, neither EEG 'delta wave buildup,' nor heart rate (HR) acceleration, nor tonic/phasic EMG activation was identified. The post-arousal EEG demonstrated three patterns: (a) diffuse, rhythmic, delta activity with a typical frequency of 2.2 Hz, a typical amplitude of 85 μV, and a typical duration of 20 s; (b) diffuse delta and theta activity intermixed with alpha and beta activity; and (c) prominent alpha and beta activity. Multichannel, high-voltage, delta activity was observed in <2% of all prearousal periods. HR acceleration emerged abruptly with SWS arousals, with significant changes in mean pre- versus postarousal HR (p < .001). Macrostructural sleep parameters ('sleep architecture') were intact. Therefore, our findings in adults with SW, ST strongly support the classification of SW/ST as disorders of (abrupt) arousal.
AB - A systematic study of electrophysiologic events [eight-channel EEG, electrocardiogram, electromyogram (EMGs)] surrounding 252 arousals from slow- wave sleep (SWS) in adults with sleepwalking (SW) and sleep terrors (ST) is reported. Hospital-based, overnight polysomnographic monitoring was conducted in 38 adults presenting to a sleep disorders center with injurious SW, ST (21 males, 17 females; mean age 29 years, range 17-69 years). Before nonbehavioral or behavioral arousals from SWS, neither EEG 'delta wave buildup,' nor heart rate (HR) acceleration, nor tonic/phasic EMG activation was identified. The post-arousal EEG demonstrated three patterns: (a) diffuse, rhythmic, delta activity with a typical frequency of 2.2 Hz, a typical amplitude of 85 μV, and a typical duration of 20 s; (b) diffuse delta and theta activity intermixed with alpha and beta activity; and (c) prominent alpha and beta activity. Multichannel, high-voltage, delta activity was observed in <2% of all prearousal periods. HR acceleration emerged abruptly with SWS arousals, with significant changes in mean pre- versus postarousal HR (p < .001). Macrostructural sleep parameters ('sleep architecture') were intact. Therefore, our findings in adults with SW, ST strongly support the classification of SW/ST as disorders of (abrupt) arousal.
KW - Arousal/disorders of arousal
KW - Electrocardiogram
KW - Electroencephalogram
KW - Parasomnia
KW - Sleep (night) terrors/sleepwalking
KW - Slow-wave sleep/delta sleep
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U2 - 10.1097/00004691-199803000-00010
DO - 10.1097/00004691-199803000-00010
M3 - Article
C2 - 9563584
AN - SCOPUS:0031849673
SN - 0736-0258
VL - 15
SP - 159
EP - 166
JO - Journal of Clinical Neurophysiology
JF - Journal of Clinical Neurophysiology
IS - 2
ER -