Citation

Hughes JR. Epilepsy Behav. 2007; 11(4): 483-491.

Affiliation

Department of Neurology, University of Illinois Medical Center (M/C 796), 912 South Wood Street, Chicago, IL 60612, USA. jhughes@uic.edu

Copyright

(Copyright © 2007, Elsevier Publishing)

DOI

10.1016/j.yebeh.2007.08.013

PMID

17931980

Abstract

The goal of this report is to review all aspects of sleepwalking (SW), also known as somnambulism. Various factors seem to initiate SW, especially drugs, stress, and sleep deprivation. As an etiology, heredity is important, but other conditions include thyrotoxicosis, stress, and herpes simplex encephalitis. Psychological characteristics of sleepwalkers often include aggression, anxiety, panic disorder, and hysteria. Polysomnographic characteristics emphasize abnormal deep sleep associated with arousal and slow wave sleep fragmentation. In the differential diagnosis, the EEG is important to properly identify a seizure disorder, rather than SW. Associated disorders are Tourette's syndrome, sleep-disordered breathing, and migraine. Various kinds of treatment are discussed, as are legal considerations, especially murder during sleepwalking.

Language: en