Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jun 10, 2026

Measuring Neural Mechanisms Underlying Sleep-Dependent Memory Consolidation During Naps in Early Childhood
08:20

Measuring Neural Mechanisms Underlying Sleep-Dependent Memory Consolidation During Naps in Early Childhood

Published on: October 2, 2019

Sleep cyclic alternating pattern analysis in healthy children during the first year of life: a daytime

Silvia Miano1, Rosa Peraita-Adrados, Marilisa Montesano

  • 1Department of Pediatrics, Sleep Disorder Centre, University of Rome La Sapienza-Sant'Andrea Hospital, Rome, Italy.

Brain & Development
|August 24, 2010
PubMed

Insights

This study provides the first normative data on cyclic alternating pattern (CAP) in infants aged 5-16 months, revealing that CAP increases with sleep depth and age, indicating maturing arousal mechanisms. These findings offer insights into infant sleep development and arousability maturation.

Area of Science:

  • Neuroscience
  • Sleep Medicine
  • Developmental Pediatrics

Background:

  • Cyclic alternating pattern (CAP) reflects arousal mechanisms during non-rapid eye movement (NREM) sleep.
  • Understanding CAP maturation in infants is crucial for assessing sleep development and neurological function.
  • Normative data for CAP parameters in early childhood are limited, particularly for the 5-16 month age range.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To provide normative data for cyclic alternating pattern (CAP) parameters in healthy infants aged 5-16 months.
  • To investigate the maturation of arousal mechanisms during NREM sleep in the first year of life.
  • To correlate CAP parameters with age and sleep depth in infants.

Main Methods:

  • Video-EEG-polysomnography was conducted on 11 healthy infants (mean age 7.9 months) during morning sleep.
  • Sleep architecture and CAP analysis were performed using standard criteria.
  • Data were combined with a previous sample (2-4 months) to analyze age-related changes in CAP parameters.

Main Results:

  • The total CAP rate was 23.7%, increasing with sleep depth (highest in N3, lowest in N1).
  • A1 phases were most frequent (78.2%), followed by A2 (14%) and A3 (7.7%).
  • CAP rate, A1/A2/A3 indices, A2/A3 percentages, and mean duration of B phases increased with age; A1 percentage decreased.

Conclusions:

  • This study presents the first CAP data for infants aged 5-16 months, confirming an increasing CAP rate with age.
  • The progressive increase in CAP rate with sleep depth and age reflects the maturation of slow-wave activity.
  • A decreased percentage of A1 subtypes suggests a maturation of arousability during early development.

More Related Videos

Quantifying Infra-slow Dynamics of Spectral Power and Heart Rate in Sleeping Mice10:56

Quantifying Infra-slow Dynamics of Spectral Power and Heart Rate in Sleeping Mice

Published on: August 2, 2017

Through-the-Wall Blood Sampling Method to Minimize Sleep Disruption in Clinical Settings06:39

Through-the-Wall Blood Sampling Method to Minimize Sleep Disruption in Clinical Settings

Published on: June 13, 2025

Related Concept Videos

Sleep-Wake Cycles01:24

Sleep-Wake Cycles

Sleep is an essential physiological process vital to maintaining overall well-being. The reticular activating system (RAS), a network of neurons in the brainstem, regulates wakefulness and sleep. While it may seem passive, sleep consists of distinct cycles, each with its unique characteristics and functions. Two key sleep phases are non-rapid eye movement (NREM) and  rapid eye movement (REM).
NREM Sleep
NREM sleep comprises four progressive stages that seamlessly merge:
Stages of Sleep01:22

Stages of Sleep

Sleep progresses through distinct stages, each characterized by specific brain wave patterns and physiological responses ranging from wakefulness to stages of non-rapid eye movement, known as non-REM, to rapid eye movement, referred to as REM. Understanding these stages helps in recognizing how sleep supports various bodily and cognitive functions.
Before sleep begins, in wakefulness, the brain exhibits primarily beta waves, which are high in frequency and low in amplitude, indicating alertness...
REM Sleep Behavior Disorder01:15

REM Sleep Behavior Disorder

REM Sleep Behavior Disorder (RBD) is a sleep disorder characterized by the absence of muscle paralysis that normally occurs during the REM phase of sleep. This absence allows individuals to physically act out their dreams, which are often vivid and disturbing. Common behaviors exhibited during episodes include kicking, punching, and yelling. These actions can be dangerous, potentially leading to injuries for the person with RBD or their bed partner.
RBD is significantly associated with...
Understanding Sleep01:11

Understanding Sleep

Sleep, an essential biological state, involves significant reductions in physical activity, sensory awareness, and interaction with the environment. This complex physiological process is primarily regulated by specific brain regions, notably the hypothalamus and pons, which govern the sleep-wake cycle or circadian rhythm.
The circadian rhythm, a nearly 24-hour cycle, is deeply influenced by environmental light cues. Light exposure directly affects the hypothalamus, which in turn regulates...
Narcolepsy01:07

Narcolepsy

Narcolepsy is a chronic sleep disorder characterized by pervasive, uncontrolled sleepiness and other sleep disturbances. One of its hallmark symptoms is an abrupt transition to REM sleep upon falling asleep, which causes symptoms typically associated with this phase to occur unexpectedly during wakefulness. These include the following symptoms, which typically last from a minute or two to half an hour.
Circadian Rhythms and Gene Regulation02:19

Circadian Rhythms and Gene Regulation

The biological clock is involved in many aspects of regulating complex physiology in all animals. It was in 1935 when German zoologists, Hans Kalmus and Erwin Bünning, discovered the existence of circadian rhythm in Drosophila melanogaster. However, the internal molecular mechanisms behind the circadian clock remained a mystery until 1984, when Jeffrey C. Hall, Michael Rosbash, and Michael W. Young discovered the expression of the Per gene oscillating over a 24-hour cycle. In subsequent years,...