Clinical recovery and sleep architecture degradation.
We achieved a unique and timely recording of cerebral activity in a 70 year old woman immediately pre- and post-stroke, while studying the effect of acute cerebral infarction on sleep-electroencephalogram (EEG) patterns. Normal patterns, except for increased wakefulness, were recorded during two pre-infarct polysomnograms. Immediately following cerebral infarction increased delta activity was recorded from the infarcted hemisphere only. Initially, REM sleep could not be recorded from either side; however, on the third post infarct day REM sleep returned. Background EEG levels from both hemispheres became progressively slower, flatter and simpler. In addition, sleep spindles and the distinctive saw-tooth wave forms of sleep almost disappeared. At one year post-stroke sleep-EEG rhythm recordings from both hemispheres became more similar except for persisting delta activity from the left hemisphere. Unexpected deterioration of sleep-EEG pattern recordings from the undamaged hemisphere taken during the patient's clinical recovery remains unexplained. Serial sleep recording may facilitate the study of brain recovery, activity and reorganization following stroke.
Hachinski
V C
VC
MacLachlan Stroke Unit, University Hospital, London, Ontario, Canada.
Mamelak
M
M
Norris
J W
JW
D000368:Aged; D002544:Cerebral Infarction / Q000503:physiopathology*; D002561:Cerebrovascular Disorders / Q000503:physiopathology; D004569:Electroencephalography; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D012890:Sleep / Q000502:physiology*; D012895:Sleep, REM / Q000502:physiology