Clinical and polysomnographic profi le of adult patients with NREM parasomnia – experience from a neurological sleep center
Authors:
L. Račanská 1,2; J. Nepožitek 1; S. Dostálová 1; K. Šonka 1; I. Příhodová 1
Authors‘ workplace:
Neurologická klinika a Centrum klinických, neurověd, 1. LF UK a VFN v Praze
1; Psychiatrická nemocnice Kosmonosy
2
Published in:
Cesk Slov Neurol N 2025; 88(2): 95-100
Category:
Original Paper
doi:
https://doi.org/10.48095/cccsnn202595
Overview
Objective: To map the anamnestic characteristics and polysomnographic profile of patients with NREM (non rapid eye movement) parasomnia compared to a control group and to determine whether sleep parameters are related to clinical qualitative parameters and comorbidities. Methodology: We included 53 patients (31 men), average age 31.5 ± 8 years, in the retrospective study. We evaluated anamnestic data, including data focused on sleep and sleep disorders, and the results of polysomnographic examination. Polysomnographic findings were compared with a control group of 42 healthy people (23 men), average age 34.1 ± 8 years. Results: The most frequent type of parasomnia evaluated according to the anamnesis was somnambulism (88.6%). The majority of patients reported onset in childhood (86.7%). The most important trigger of episodes was stress (26.4%) and less often alcohol (3.7%), and a foreign environment (9.4%). Among comorbid diseases, allergic diseases were the most frequent (45.2%), followed by psychiatric diseases (13%). During polysomnography, an episode of NREM parasomnia was noted in 50.9% of patients. Compared to the control group, patients with NREM parasomnia had shorter sleep latency, better sleep efficiency, lower proportion of wakefulness, and higher proportion of NREM 2 sleep. A lower proportion of NREM 3 sleep was found in the group of patients with a familial occurrence of parasomnia. Conclusion: The most common comorbid diseases in patients with NREM parasomnia were allergic diseases. Stress was the dominant trigger of parasomnia episodes in NREM parasomnias, so it is important to focus on its management in clinical practice. The association found between NREM 3 sleep loss and familial occurrence supports the current view that NREM 3 dysregulation has a heritable predisposition.
Keywords:
polysomnography – NREM parasomnia – NREM 3 sleep – familial occurrence – allergic disease
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Paediatric neurology Neurosurgery NeurologyArticle was published in
Czech and Slovak Neurology and Neurosurgery
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