[Polysomnographical studies of a patient with severe myoclonic epilepsy in infancy].
In order to evaluate the brain function of a boy with severe myoclonic epilepsy, we performed serial polysomnographical studies. Although percent slow wave sleep and percent stage REM were normal in infancy, they were reduced with age after 1 year old. Concomitant existence of twitch movements and localized movements of mentalis muscle with REMs bursts, which decreased rapidly during infancy in healthy controls, were paradoxically increased with age in this patients. Since sleep parameters are thought to be controlled by the brainstem neural system, the present observations indicate that the brainstem function of this patient is deteriorated progressively at least during childhood.
Itoh
M
M
Department of Pediatrics, Tokyo Medical and Dental University.
Tanuma
N
N
Shimohira
M
M
Suzuki
H
H
Iwakawa
Y
Y
D002675:Child, Preschool; D004831:Epilepsies, Myoclonic / Q000503:physiopathology*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D017286:Polysomnography; D012895:Sleep, REM / Q000502:physiology*