title: [Determination of the degree of mental alertness in the enderly (author's transl)].
abstract: Telemetric polygraph recordings lasting from 10-18 hours were performed in 22 elderly and institutionalised patients whose ages ranged from 82 to 97 years in an attempt to determine whether they were able to maintain alertness throughout the course of the day. By combining the standard E.E.G. data with that from the telemetric recording it was possible to subdivide the patients into 4 groups: 1 Normal E.E.G. Stable state of awareness varying only between active waking and relaxed waking, apart from a clearly demarcated siesta period (8 subjects). 2 Normal E.E.G. State of awareness moderately stable but containing as well as one or two clearly defined, siestas some somnolent episodes (6 subjects). 3 Numerous fluctuations of alertness with several levels of drowsiness corresponding either to the classical stages of sleep or to undifferentiated stages (5 subjects, 4 with normal E.E.G.). 4 Abnormal E.E.G. and only two levels of alertness which were difficult to correlate with the behavioural state. All 4 subjects in this group had severe organic impairment. There was a good correlation between the data obtained from the standard E.E.G. and that from the telemetric recording. Patients having a normal E.E.G. maintained their alertness well, and those with the highest proportion of fast activity best of all. The possible limits of variation become very narrow in severe organic impairment.
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D001364:Awareness / Q000502:physiology*; D003071:Cognition / Q000502:physiology*; D004569:Electroencephalography / Q000379:methods*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D012890:Sleep / Q000502:physiology; D013686:Telemetry / Q000379:methods*
vernacular_title: Appréciation des niveux de vigilance chez les personnes agées.