title: Event scoring in polysomnography: scoring arousals, respiratory events, and leg movements.
abstract: Polysomnographic events comprise a wide variety of phenomena,including episodes of apnea, episodes of hypopnea, leg movements, transient central nervous system arousals, and eye movements. The process of event scoring involves pattern recognition and provides a description of potentially pathophysiologic activity occurring during sleep. The rules for scoring sleep-related events continue to be developed. The rules are precise and must be followed with extreme care. When the polysomnogram is interpreted,the report must include a summary of event scoring and clinical correlation to the sleep complaint. Arousals, periodic limb movements, and respiratory events are significant because they represent pathophysiologies on which final diagnosis largely depends.
authors.affiliation: Michael E. DeBakey Veteran Affairs Medical Center, Sleep Disorders Clinic, Houston, TX 77030, USA. marietta.bibbs@med.va.gov
authors.forename: Marietta Bellamy
authors.initials: MB
authors.lastname: Bibbs
authors.forename: Max
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Hirshkowitz
mesh_terms: D001143:Arousal / Q000502:physiology*; D006801:Humans; D007866:Leg / Q000502:physiology; D009068:Movement / Q000502:physiology*; D017286:Polysomnography / Q000379:methods*; D012120:Respiration Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis*; D012148:Restless Legs Syndrome / Q000175:diagnosis; D012890:Sleep / Q000502:physiology*