title: Electroencephalographic slow waves prior to sleepwalking episodes.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Recent studies have suggested that the onset of sleepwalking episodes may be preceded by fluctuations in slow-wave sleep electroencephalographic characteristics. However, whether or not such fluctuations are specific to sleepwalking episodes or generalized to all sleep-wake transitions in sleepwalkers remains unknown. The goal of this study was to compare spectral power for delta (1-4 Hz) and slow delta (0.5-1 Hz) as well as slow oscillation density before the onset of somnambulistic episodes versus non-behavioral awakenings recorded from the same group of sleepwalkers. A secondary aim was to describe the time course of observed changes in slow-wave activity and slow oscillations during the 3 min immediately preceding the occurrence of somnambulistic episodes.
  
  
  METHODS
  Twelve adult sleepwalkers were investigated polysomnographically during the course of one night.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Slow-wave activity and slow oscillation density were significantly greater prior to patients' somnambulistic episodes as compared with non-behavioral awakenings. However, there was no evidence for a gradual increase over the 3 min preceding the episodes.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Increased slow-wave activity and slow oscillation density appear to be specific to sleepwalking episodes rather than generalized to all sleep-wake transitions in sleepwalkers.
authors.affiliation: Center for Advanced Research in Sleep Medicine, Hôpital du Sacré-Cœur, Montréal, Québec, Canada; Department of Psychology, Université de Montréal, Montréal, Québec, Canada.
authors.forename: Rosemarie
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Perrault
authors.affiliation: Center for Advanced Research in Sleep Medicine, Hôpital du Sacré-Cœur, Montréal, Québec, Canada; Department of Psychology, Université de Montréal, Montréal, Québec, Canada.
authors.forename: Julie
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Carrier
authors.affiliation: Center for Advanced Research in Sleep Medicine, Hôpital du Sacré-Cœur, Montréal, Québec, Canada.
authors.forename: Alex
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Desautels
authors.affiliation: Center for Advanced Research in Sleep Medicine, Hôpital du Sacré-Cœur, Montréal, Québec, Canada; Department of Psychiatry, Université de Montréal, Montréal, Québec, Canada.
authors.forename: Jacques
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Montplaisir
authors.affiliation: Center for Advanced Research in Sleep Medicine, Hôpital du Sacré-Cœur, Montréal, Québec, Canada; Department of Psychology, Université de Montréal, Montréal, Québec, Canada. Electronic address: antonio.zadra@umontreal.ca.
authors.forename: Antonio
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Zadra
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D003700:Delta Rhythm / Q000502:physiology*; D004569:Electroencephalography; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D012894:Sleep Stages / Q000502:physiology; D013009:Somnambulism / Q000503:physiopathology*; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: Parasomnia; Sleep EEG; Sleepwalking; Slow-wave activity; Slow-wave oscillations; Somnambulism