ABSTRACT
INTRODUCTION: The abused child syndrome is related to a variety of emotional disorders, among which are the "post-traumatic stress syndrome" and the phenomena "re-experience," which is related to disturbances of the normal sleep-wake cycle. OBJECTIVE: To determine the polysomnographic characteristics of the abused child syndrome and compare them with paired healthy children. MATERIAL AND METHODS: After two-night habituation, all-night video-digital polygraphic recordings following recommendations of the International Federation of Clinical Neurophysiology were performed in 15 abused child syndrome and 15 healthy controls. RESULTS: In the abused child syndrome patients, the main sleep changes were decreased sleep efficiency, decreased sleep onset sleep latency, increased wakefulness, decreased REM sleep and total sleep time. CONCLUSIONS: The abused child syndrome have abnormal sleep patterns, independent of the type of abuse, age or sex. Sleep alterations are a new characteristic of the abused child syndrome, not previously described.