Parasomnias, abnormal sleep behaviors, affect 2-3% of adults. A new study shows that patients may dream or act unconsciously during episodes, with specific brain activation patterns correlating to these states. Understanding these patterns could lead to better treatments. Credit: SciTechDaily.com
Many poeople imagine a sleepwalker as someone who is unconsciously walking around while their eyes are closed and their arms are stretched out in front of them. In reality, sleepwalkers typically have their eyes open and may have complex interactions with their environment.
Measuring someone’s brain activity during a parasomnia episode is no mean feat. The patient needs to fall asleep, experience an episode, and have their brain activity recorded while moving around. “There are currently very few studies that have managed to overcome this. But with the many electrodes we use in the lab and some specific analysis techniques, we can now get a very clean signal, even when the patients move around,” Siclari explains.
Based on these three categories, Siclari’s group compared the measured brain activities and found clear parallels. “Compared to patients who did not experience anything, patients who dreamt during the episode showed activations that were similar to brain activations previously found for dreaming, both immediately before the episode, and also during the episode.
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