Body movements during sleep in healthy and neurologically damaged infants.
The body movements of sixteen healthy and twenty-one neurologically damaged infants were recorded during sleep on the static charge sensitive bed (SCSB). The SCSB method allows long-term monitoring of body movements, respiration and ballistocardiogram. Different body movement variables were estimated at the ages of 1 week, 1 month and 3 months. The results showed a constant duration and number of body movements during active and quiet sleep at each studied age both in healthy and neurologically damaged infants. A decreasing tendency in the number of body movements could only be seen if no differentiation between sleep states was made. No statistically significant differences were found between healthy and neurologically damaged infants in any of the variables. The results suggest that quantitative changes--the duration and number--in motor patterns during sleep are inadequate criteria for differentiation between healthy and neurologically damaged infants.
Erkinjuntti
M
M
Department of Pediatrics, Turku University Central Hospital, Finland.
D002493:Central Nervous System Diseases / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000523:psychology*; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D009043:Motor Activity; D012890:Sleep