title: Quantitative electroencephalography and behavioural correlates of daytime sleepiness in chronic stroke.
abstract: Sleepiness is common after stroke, but in contrast to its importance for rehabilitation, existing studies focus primarily on the acute state and often use subjective sleepiness measures only. We used quantitative electroencephalography (qEEG) to extract physiological sleepiness, as well as subjective reports, in response to motor-cognitive demand in stroke patients and controls. We hypothesised that (a) slowing of the EEG is chronically sustained after stroke; (b) increased power in lower frequencies and increased sleepiness are associated; and (c) sleepiness is modulated by motor-cognitive demand. QEEGs were recorded in 32 chronic stroke patients and 20 controls using a Karolinska Drowsiness Test protocol administered before and after a motor priming task. Subjective sleepiness was measured using the Karolinska Sleepiness Scale. The findings showed that power density was significantly increased in delta and theta frequency bands over both hemispheres in patients which were not associated with subjective sleepiness ratings. This effect was not observed in controls. The motor priming task induced differential hemispheric effects with greater increase in low-frequency bands and presumably compensatory increases in higher frequency bands. The results indicate sustained slowing in the qEEG in chronic stroke, but in contrast to healthy controls, these changes are not related to perceived sleepiness.
authors.affiliation: Pain Management Centre, National Hospital for Neurology and Neurosurgery, University College London Hospitals, London WC1N3BG, UK.
authors.forename: Katherine
authors.identifier: 0000-0002-7954-1410
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Herron
authors.affiliation: Surrey Sleep Research Centre, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Surrey, Guildford GU2 7XH, UK.
authors.forename: Derk-Jan
authors.initials: DJ
authors.lastname: Dijk
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, Faculty of Arts and Human Science, University of Surrey, Guildford GU2 7XH, UK.
authors.forename: Philip
authors.identifier: 0000-0002-2362-513X
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Dean
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, Faculty of Arts and Human Science, University of Surrey, Guildford GU2 7XH, UK.
authors.forename: Ellen
authors.identifier: 0000-0001-9778-9076
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Seiss
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, Faculty of Arts and Human Science, University of Surrey, Guildford GU2 7XH, UK.
authors.forename: Annette
authors.identifier: 0000-0003-4490-985X
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Sterr
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D004569:Electroencephalography; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012890:Sleep / Q000502:physiology*; D020521:Stroke / Q000150:complications / Q000473:pathology*; D000071939:Stroke Rehabilitation