[Function of the somnifacient brain system in patients with epilepsy]

Polysomnographic examination covered 145 patients with various clinical forms of epileptic attacks. On the one hand, they presented increased activity of the mechanisms of stage II slow sleep, while on the other a decrease in the activity of the mechanisms of rapid sleep and stage IV slow sleep. "Epileptogenicity" of stage II slow sleep and an "antiepileptic protective" function of rapid sleep and stage IV slow sleep have been shown. Convulsive activity has been found to have synergic relationship with fusiform activity and antagonistic one with rapid eye movements. A conclusion is made that intensity of epileptic activity during night sleep depends on the distribution of the physical components of slow and rapid sleep (sleep spindles and rapid eye movements in the given unit of time).