Sleep and electroencephalography: points of interest and points of controversy

The union of the state: myoclonic twitching is coupled with nuchal muscle atonia in infant rats

Active sleep (AS), as measured by the occurrence of myoclonic twitching (MT), is the most prevalent behavioral state in newborn rats. Historically, AS has been considered a developmental precursor of REM sleep, but recently this idea has been questioned. In the present study, the authors assess, in 2-, 5-, and 8-day-old rats, the relationship between MT and nuchal muscle atonia, a widely recognized component of REM sleep. At all ages, muscle atonia preceded MT and persisted until awake behaviors occurred. In addition, muscle tone decreased gradually during transitions from awake behavior to twitching. Thus, MT during infancy occurs against a backdrop of muscle atonia, a result that is consistent with the view that AS is a developmental precursor of REM sleep.

Sleep, epilepsy, and the EEG in infancy and childhood

Each of the major epileptic syndromes that occur in infants and children demonstrates relationships to sleep and wakefulness that are particular to that syndrome. These relationships include activation or suppression of clinical seizures during certain portions of the sleep-wake cycle, differences in symptomatology of the seizures or in seizure type, alterations in distribution or morphology of epileptiform waveforms, and changes in duration and composition of sleep stages. Knowledge of the interactions between sleep and seizures helps to increase understanding of the physiological mechanisms underlying epilepsy, as well as to improve clinical diagnosis.