Rhythmic slow wave observed on nocturnal sleep encephalogram in children with idiopathic nocturnal enuresis

All-night sleep polygraphs, except the first night, were recorded for 15 patients with idiopathic nocturnal enuresis and 10 normal controls. Relations between sleep and the mechanism by which nocturnal enuresis is caused, with special emphasis on the occurrence of rhythmic slow waves (RSW), was studied. The following results were obtained. (a) There was no significant difference between the two groups in the proportions of the electroencephalographic (EEG) sleep stages, under the same conditions. (b) Nocturnal enuresis occurred with almost the same frequency in all sleep stages except stage 1 sleep and was higher in the second and third cycles. (c) Immediately before a nocturnal enuretic event, 6-7 Hz RSW continued for as long as 15-40 s in NREM sleep, or 3-5 Hz RSW was observed in REM sleep. (d) RSW was observed in enuretics and controls, and decreased with increase in age. However, RSW occurred more often, and age-related decrease was delayed in enuretic children. (e) RSW was induced by stimuli such as changes in sleep stages or body movement. During RSW, the variance of heart rate and respiration tended to be low. These results and the similarity between RSW and diffuse rhythmic theta suggest that RSW may be an expression of the process of maintaining a given sleep stage in children. These results may also be caused by the immaturity of the sleep mechanism in enuretic children. The long-lasting RSW on the sleep EEG was considered to be a sign of the onset of nocturnal enuresis.