title: Sleep Deprivation Reveals Altered Brain Perfusion Patterns in Somnambulism.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Despite its high prevalence, relatively little is known about the pathophysiology of somnambulism. Increasing evidence indicates that somnambulism is associated with functional abnormalities during wakefulness and that sleep deprivation constitutes an important drive that facilitates sleepwalking in predisposed patients. Here, we studied the neural mechanisms associated with somnambulism using Single Photon Emission Computed Tomography (SPECT) with 99mTc-Ethylene Cysteinate Dimer (ECD), during wakefulness and after sleep deprivation.
  
  
  METHODS
  Ten adult sleepwalkers and twelve controls with normal sleep were scanned using 99mTc-ECD SPECT in morning wakefulness after a full night of sleep. Eight of the sleepwalkers and nine of the controls were also scanned during wakefulness after a night of total sleep deprivation. Between-group comparisons of regional cerebral blood flow (rCBF) were performed to characterize brain activity patterns during wakefulness in sleepwalkers.
  
  
  RESULTS
  During wakefulness following a night of total sleep deprivation, rCBF was decreased bilaterally in the inferior temporal gyrus in sleepwalkers compared to controls.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Functional neural abnormalities can be observed during wakefulness in somnambulism, particularly after sleep deprivation and in the inferior temporal cortex. Sleep deprivation thus not only facilitates the occurrence of sleepwalking episodes, but also uncovers patterns of neural dysfunction that characterize sleepwalkers during wakefulness.
authors.affiliation: Center for Advanced Research in Sleep Medicine, Hôpital du Sacré-Cœur de Montréal, Montréal, Quebec, Canada; Center for Studies in Behavioral Neurobiology, PERFORM Center & Department of Exercise Science, Concordia University, Montréal, Quebec, Canada; Centre de Recherche de l'Institut Universitaire de Gériatrie de Montréal and Department of Neurosciences, Université de Montréal, Montréal, Quebec, Canada.
authors.forename: Thien Thanh
authors.initials: TT
authors.lastname: Dang-Vu
authors.affiliation: Center for Advanced Research in Sleep Medicine, Hôpital du Sacré-Cœur de Montréal, Montréal, Quebec, Canada; Department of Psychology, Université de Montréal, Montréal, Quebec, Canada.
authors.forename: Antonio
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Zadra
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, Université de Montréal, Montréal, Quebec, Canada.
authors.forename: Marc-Antoine
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Labelle
authors.affiliation: Center for Advanced Research in Sleep Medicine, Hôpital du Sacré-Cœur de Montréal, Montréal, Quebec, Canada.
authors.forename: Dominique
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Petit
authors.affiliation: Montreal Neurological Institute, McGill University, Montréal, Quebec, Canada; Department of Nuclear Medicine, Centre Hospitalier de l'Université de Montréal, Montréal, Québec, Canada.
authors.forename: Jean-Paul
authors.initials: JP
authors.lastname: Soucy
authors.affiliation: Center for Advanced Research in Sleep Medicine, Hôpital du Sacré-Cœur de Montréal, Montréal, Quebec, Canada; Department of Psychiatry and Canada Research Chair in Sleep Medicine, Université de Montréal, Montréal, Quebec, Canada.
authors.forename: Jacques
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Montplaisir
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001931:Brain Mapping; D002560:Cerebrovascular Circulation; D003545:Cysteine / Q000031:analogs & derivatives; D005260:Female; D006212:Hallucinations / Q000503:physiopathology; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D015609:Organotechnetium Compounds; D019275:Radiopharmaceuticals; D012892:Sleep Deprivation / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000503:physiopathology*; D013009:Somnambulism / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000503:physiopathology*; D013702:Temporal Lobe / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000503:physiopathology; D015899:Tomography, Emission-Computed, Single-Photon; D014851:Wakefulness / Q000502:physiology; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D015609:Organotechnetium Compounds; D019275:Radiopharmaceuticals; C059659:technetium Tc 99m bicisate; D003545:Cysteine