Sleepwalking (somnambulism)
Sleepwalking is defined as the occurrence of unconscious psychomotor activity during sleep without the person concerned having sufficient orientation and subsequently suffering from a retrograde memory gap (retrograde amnesia). In many cases, this disorder occurs in childhood, relatively rarely in adulthood. Sleepwalking does not only refer to “walking” during sleep, but can also be characterized merely by situations in which the person concerned wakes up and, with reduced orientation, looks at the room or arranges the bedding, for example.
Contrary to the widespread opinion that during their nocturnal changing absolutely safe and purposeful proceed and/or “change”, it should be considered that sleepwalkers are particularly injury-endangered thereby, particularly if they awake during the sleep changing. As cause for sleepwalking with children the not yet sufficiently developed brain region for the sleep/wake rhythm is regarded, which is favoured particularly by external causes (e.g. irregular sleep times). In adults, sleepwalking can be genetically determined, but here, too, external causes (alcohol, medication, stress) can be considered.
Restless Legs Syndrome
The restless legs syndrome is characterized by a strong urge to move the legs. In addition, strong sensations (pain, tingling) occur.This symptomatology occurs especially in the evening and at night and therefore leads to difficulties in falling and staying asleep. The causes of this disease are hormonal or metabolic disorders, polyneuropathies or iron deficiency.
It is assumed that restless legs syndrome is caused by a disruption of the dopamine balance (dopamine is a neurotransmitter, i.e. a messenger substance for the transmission of information from a nerve cell). The speed of the nerves (electroneurography, ENG), sleep analyses and a blood/urine examination are often used to determine this. A dopaminergic and/or opioid treatment of this syndrome is often performed as a therapeutic measure.
Sleep Apnoea Syndrome
Abbreviated as SAS, the sleep-apnoea syndrome (also known as “obstructive sleep-apnoea syndrome”, OSAS) is particularly characterized by respiratory arrest (apnoea) during sleep. This syndrome causes sleep disorders, but also occurs as a result of neurological diseases. The most common symptoms are short sleep episodes (10-20s) with respiratory arrest, marked obesity, respiratory arrest during sleep of 10-40s, reduction of oxygen (O2) and simultaneous increase of carbon dioxide (CO2) content in the blood with compensatory countermeasures (i.e. hyperventilation with increase in heart rate) and later encephalopathy with psychoorganic changes.
The therapy of sleep apnoea syndrome as an internal disease starts in very mild cases with a change in sleeping position and sleep hygiene (no alcohol consumption before going to bed, regulated bed times). Many patients require either respiratory stimulants or even external respiratory support. An appropriate ventilator provides sufficient ventilation of the upper respiratory organs during the night. Before therapy measures are initiated, patients should be examined for changes in the respiratory organs (e.g. pharyngeal tonsils) and treated accordingly. According to the guidelines of the German Society of Neurology (2005), OSAS can also occur as a consequence of various neurological diseases: occur
- Multisystem atrophy
- Parkinson’s Syndrome
- Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS)
- Neuropathies
- Neuromuscular diseases
- Muscular Diseases
- Encephalitis
- Multiple Sclerosis (MS)
- Stroke
- Epilepsy and even with
- Restless Legs Syndrome (RLS) and in the
- Narcolepsy
