NIGHT SLEEP DISORDERS DURING RECOVERY OF SEVERE HEAD-INJURIES

  • 1 January 1981
    • journal article
    • research article
    • Vol. 27  (1) , 35-38
Abstract
In 16 young (15-25 yr) patients, sleep recordings were performed 1 mo. (group T1, 10 cases) or 6 mo. (group T6, 6 cases) after recovery of consciousness following severe head injury. Group T1 can be divided in 2 subgroups according to clinical and EEG data: T1A (4 cases) with long duration of coma (15-40 days) and low level of brain stem dysfunction (mesodiencephalic) and T1B (6 cases) with short duration of coma (5-12 days) and high level of dysfunction (diencephalic). In group T6 every duration of coma and level of dysfunction are present. Percentage of intrasleep wakefulness and number of awakenings are very increased in group T1A (31.5% and 24). The data are less increased in group T1B (10.1% and 19) and T6 (11.8% and 19). Percentage of REM [rapid eye movement] sleep is very low in group T1A (9.57%) and T1B (12.65%) because of short duration of each phase. In group T6 REM sleep is close to control subjects (16.15% and 20.52%). The results are compared to those reported in normal or insomniac subjects of same age or much older. They are very similar to sleep perturbations observed in elderly (70 yr) but normal people. This may evoke an early aging of brain stem structures involved in organization of wakefulness-sleep rhythm and REM sleep.

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