Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jul 26, 2026

Quantifying Infra-slow Dynamics of Spectral Power and Heart Rate in Sleeping Mice
Published on: August 2, 2017
Relationship between sleep spindles and hypersomnia
A Bové1, A Culebras, J T Moore
1Sant Pau i Santa Tecla Hospital, Tarragona, Spain.
Abstract:
Sleep spindles (SS) and K complexes constitute the physiological markers of stage 2 sleep. Because sleep allows a spontaneous thalamic manifestation in the form of SS, one could hypothesize that there is some kind of relationship between SS and the complaint of hypersomnia. To investigate this possible relationship we compared nonhypersomnolent subjects with hypersomnolent patients who carried a diagnosis of narcolepsy or idiopathic hypersomnia. SS were counted in well-defined nocturnal stage 2 sleep segments, and the average SS density (number of SS in stage 2/minute stage 2) was tabulated for the entire night. Agreement between two independent scores was higher than 95%. The results show that the average SS density is higher in both cerebral hemispheres in the hypersomnolent group, especially in the idiopathic hypersomnia patients. At the beginning and at the end of the nocturnal sleep time, SS density is increased in this group compared with the normal one. These findings support the complaint of hypersomnia, mainly in idiopathic hypersomnia patients. This is in agreement with the notion that SS are generated by thalamic structures that serve a gatekeeping function during nonrapid eye movement sleep, and further suggests that their relative abundance expresses the power of that control.
More Related Videos
Related Concept Videos
Sleep-Wake Cycles
NREM Sleep
NREM sleep comprises four progressive stages that seamlessly merge:
Management of Insomnia
Sedatives and Hypnotics Drugs: Miscellaneous Agents
Melatonin congeners like ramelteon (Rozerem) and tasimelteon (Hetlioz) selectively bind to melatonin receptors (MT1 and MT2) and thus mimic the actions of melatonin, a hormone that regulates sleep-wake cycles. Tasimelteon is primarily used for non-24-hour sleep-wake disorder, common in blind patients. They are also used to treat conditions like insomnia...
Insomnia
Multiple factors contribute...
Sleepwalking and Sleep Talking
Factors that increase the likelihood of sleepwalking include sleep deprivation and alcohol consumption. Contrary to common beliefs, it is safe...
Narcolepsy

