title: Influence of sleep state and age on body motility in normal premature and full-term neonates.
abstract: To assess the distribution of body motility according to sleep states and age, we performed polygraphic tracings in 39 normal premature and full-term infants during the neonatal period, grouped according to conceptional age in weeks (wCA): 31-34, 35-36, 37-38, and 39-41 wCA. Movements of the upper and lower limbs (UL, LL) were recorded using piezo-electric crystals. Time passed with movements (TWM) was automatically measured at an accuracy of 0.01 seconds. Sleep states were defined according to EEG and REMs criteria. We did not find any significant difference when TWM was compared between age-groups before the 38 wCA, on both UL and LL. TWM decreases significantly after 39 wCA (p less than 0.01). In all infants studied TWM was significantly higher in active sleep (AS) than in quiet sleep (QS). TWM in indeterminate sleep (IS) was usually similar to that in AS. The prevalence of body motility during AS compared to QS further confirms the observation of differences in the control of physiological variables according to sleep states as early as 31 wCA (the lower limit of our study).
mesh_terms: D005865:Gestational Age; D006801:Humans; D007231:Infant, Newborn / Q000502:physiology*; D007234:Infant, Premature / Q000502:physiology*; D009068:Movement; D012894:Sleep Stages / Q000502:physiology*