Sleep spindle detection and its clinical relevance

In this paper we describe one hardware and two software automated sleep spindle detection methods, used in our laboratory. With each of the three methods at least 500 polygraphic sleep recordings were analyzed and the results compared with the outcome of the visual analysis. In this way we were able to evaluate the advantages and the disadvantages of each of the three methods and also to discuss the practical application of this method for clinical and scientific purposes, as for example a better quantification of the variation in sleep spindle density under influence of the intake of benzodiazepine derivatives.