Localized pontine lesion: nearly total absence of REM sleep

Eight whole-night polysomnographic recordings were conducted in a 33-year-old man with a localized pontine lesion inflicted by a shrapnel fragment. Sleep recordings revealed no rapid eye movement (REM) sleep in 3 nights, and markedly reduced REM sleep in 5 nights; non-rapid eye movement (NREM) sleep was normal. In spite of marked reduction of REM sleep, the patient conducted a normal life and had none of the typical symptoms of REM-sleep deprivation.