A study of the interrupted REM episode

Brief interruptions of REM sleep are considered to be part of the REM episode. The maximum allowable duration of such an interruption, which is used to define the end of the REM episode, is currently a matter of debate. Making measurements on individual REM cycles, inter-REM interval analysis was carried out to determine whether the generally adopted 15 minute empirical rule for this maximum needs to be extended to 25 minutes as suggested by several including Kobayashi et al. Our results show that there is no reason to alter the 15 minute rule and that measurements which do not take into account the time-of-night effect may be misleading. The proportion of interrupted REM episodes observed in our population of healthy adults is high. We have therefore also examined in some detail the phenomenology of the temporal evolution of the structure and content of the interrupted REM episodes. Both showed a definite change over the night: the interruptions in the earlier episodes tend to return the system to slow wave sleep while those in the later episodes tend to return it to wake. It is hypothesized that these interruptions reflect a measure of REM sleep pressure and its interaction with both slow wave sleep and wake pressures.     

悬雍垂保留在悬雍垂腭咽成形术中的作用

目的 探讨悬雍垂保留在悬雍垂腭咽成形术(UPPP)中的作用。方法 比较43例UPPP与43例保留悬雍垂的改良UPPP的术中术后并发症、术后症状改善程度以及术后咽腔测量结果。结果 术中术后大出血、开放性鼻音、进流食返呛人鼻腔等并发症：改良UPPP明显低于UPPP(P＜0．05)；咽异物感：改良UPPP极明显低于UPPP(P＜0．01)。术后1年患者主观症状改善程度：明显改善者，改良UPPP高于UPPP，无改善者，UPPP高于改良UPPP，有显著性差异(P＜0.05)。术后1年咽腔扩大程度：下腭咽横径、前后径，改良UPPP较UPPP两者均明显扩大(P＜0.05)。结论 UPPP中保留悬雍垂可明显降低术中术后大出血、开放性鼻音、进流食返呛人鼻腔、咽异物感等并发症，术后症状明显改善，咽腔得到明显扩大。     

Recurrent sleep attacks associated with a craniopharyngioma

Symptomatic narcolepsy, once regarded as common, is now believed to be very rare. A 32-year-old man had a history of recurrent sleep attacks. A magnetic resonance imaging scan revealed a third ventricle tumor. The tumor was totally removed, and the histology was a craniopharyngioma. The symptoms ceased after the operation. The chronological correlation and the anatomical location of the tumor suggest that the patient had a symptomatic narcolepsy caused by the tumor. This is the first report that documents the cessation of narcolepsy attacks after tumor removal.     

阻塞性睡眠呼吸紊乱综合征有效治疗前后的心率变异性分析

目的通过观察OSAS患者经过有效治疗前后HRV的变化,评价患者的心率变异性变化情况。方法对51例OSAS病人在有效治疗前后同步进行PSG检查及动态心电监测,统计其HRV的时阈指标SDNN、rMSSD及频阈指标LF、HF及LF/HF,采用SPSS/PC统计软件中配对样本t检验进行处理。结果SDNN、LF、LF/HF等指标在治疗前后的差异有显著性(p<0·05),rMSSD、HF的变化无显著性差异(p>0·05)。结论有效治疗OSAS可使植物神经系统的功能得到恢复,降低心脏事件发生的危险性。     

Sleep complaints and their relation with drug treatment in patients suffering from Parkinson's disease.

The aim of this research was to quantify sleep problems in patients suffering from Parkinson's disease by means of the new Parkinson's Disease Sleep Scale (PDSS) and to correlate such problems with the possible influence of current drug treatment. A total of 70 patients (36 men and 34 women) with a diagnosis of Parkinson's disease were enrolled. Their mean age was 69.7 +/- 8.2 years, and duration of disease was 7.4 +/- 4.8 years. All patients completed the PDSS and the Unified Parkinson's Disease Rating Scale (UPDRS Parts I-IV). Drug consumption and doses were registered. The mean score on the PDSS scale was 109.23 +/- 19.75 and on the UPDRS III scale was 25.24 +/- 11.35. The lowest scores were obtained in Item 3 (sleep fragmentation): 5.53 (2.46); and in Item 8 (nocturia): 5.75 (2.91). There was a weak correlation between the PDSS and UPDRS III (cc = -0.355, P = 0.003), PDSS and UPDRS I (cc = -0.272, P = 0.02), and PDSS and UPDRS IV (cc = -0.416, P < 0.001). Motor conditions, mental state, and drug complications influence sleep quality. Although this effect was significant, it was not of a great magnitude. Dopaminergic drugs did not increase daytime sleepiness. As a whole, sleep quality in patients who took dopaminergic agonists did not differ from that of patients who took levodopa in monotherapy.     

Release of heat-loss responses in paradoxical sleep by thermal loads and by pontine tegmental lesions in cats

Thermoregulatory heat-loss responses at high ambient temperatures were studied in intact cats and those with bilateral electrolytic lesions in the pontine tegmentum during wakefulness (W), slow-wave sleep (SWS), paradoxical sleep (PS) and PS without atonia induced by the lesions. Panting (respiratory rate 90/min) was present W, SWS, and in some cases, during PS. The percentage of the PS episodes with panting was directly related ambient temperature. In intact cats at 30 °C, panting occurred in 8% of the PS episodes; at 35 °C, in 52%, and at 40 °C, in 77%. The percentage of PS episodes with panting higher in the pontine-lesioned cats (90% at 35 °C), probably another indication of the altered thermoregulation of such animals. Thermoregulatory responses to heat load, and thermoregulation in general, have previously been shown to be suppressed in PS. Because hypothalamic thermosensitive neurons lack thermal responses during PS, the partial activation of heat-loss responses observed here may depend upon the function of extrahypothalamic brainstem areas.     

高血压合并阻塞性睡眠呼吸暂停的短期血压变异性研究

目的 比较高血压合并阻塞性睡眠呼吸暂停患者的短期血压变异性。方法 将155例分为对照组、高血压组、高血压合并轻度或中重度阻塞性睡眠呼吸暂停组，EE较患者不同活动状态的短期血压变异性。结果 高血压合并中重度阻塞性睡眠呼吸暂停组患者睡眠期间和早晨血压变异系数分别为：收缩压18．69、21．32；舒张压19．41、23．61，明显高于其他各组。结论 夜间睡眠期间和早晨短期血压变异性增加，是高血压合并中重度阻塞性睡眠呼吸暂停患者夜间和早晨心血管事件发生率增加的重要危险因素。     

Effects of metyrapone on hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis and sleep in women with post-traumatic stress disorder.

BACKGROUND: Metyrapone blocks cortisol synthesis which results in removal of negative feedback, a stimulation of hypothalamic corticotropin releasing factor (CRF) and a reduction in delta sleep. We previously reported a diminished delta sleep and hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) response to metyrapone in men with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). In this study, we aimed to extend these findings to women. METHODS: Three nights of polysomnography were obtained in 17 women with PTSD and 16 controls. On day 3, metyrapone was administered throughout the day up until bedtime. Plasma adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH), cortisol, and 11-deoxycortisol were obtained the morning following sleep recordings the day before and after metyrapone administration. RESULTS: There were no significant between-group differences in hormone concentration and delta sleep at baseline. Relative to controls, women with PTSD had decreased ACTH and delta sleep responses to metyrapone. Decline in delta sleep was associated with the magnitude of increase in ACTH across groups. CONCLUSIONS: Similar to our previous findings in men, the ACTH and sleep electroencephalogram response to metyrapone is attenuated in women with PTSD. These results are consistent with a model of downregulation of CRF receptors in an environment of chronically increased CRF activity or with enhanced negative feedback regulation in PTSD.     

睡眠状态下人体生理信号模糊分析系统的研究

采用LabVIEW技术完成对心电、呼吸、无创血氧和无创血压信号的采集与处理,而后通过MATLAB模糊测量系统对采集的人体生理信号进行模糊预测分析。通过实验检验了人体生理信号检测、处理和模糊预测分析方法的可靠性。LabVIEW技术对人体生理信号的模糊预测分析是有效的,可用于检测阻塞性睡眠呼吸暂停患者的生理状态信号。     

Atypical presentation of NREM arousal parasomnia with repetitive episodes

The case report describes a distinct variant of non-REM (Rapid Eye Movement) arousal parasomnia, sleepwalking type, featuring repetitive abrupt arousals, mostly from slow-wave sleep, and various automatisms and semi-purposeful behaviours. The frequency of events and distribution throughout the night presented as a continuous status of parasomnia (' status parasomnicus '). The patient responded well to treatment typically administered for adult NREM parasomnias, and after careful review of the clinical presentation, objective findings and treatment outcome, sleep-related epilepsy was ruled out in favour of parasomnia.