Pituitary secretions and wake-sleep cycle.

Neurohumoral correlations of sleep are considered from three aspects: 1. Metabolism and cerebral blood circulation (CBF, EEG, endocranial pressure, cerebral temperature); 2. Neuromediators and neuropeptides (5-HT, hypnogen neuropeptides); 3. The influence of the sleeping-waking cycle on adeno-hypophyseal secretion rhythms (GH, PRL, LH, TSH). Variations of these parameters can play an important role in the onset of night crises of migraine and cluster headache.

[Clinical trial of isaxonine in alcoholic polyneuritis (author's transl)]. / Essai de l'isaxonine dans les polynévrites éthyliques.

Forty six confirmed cases of polyneuritis were treated in a double-blind survey for 4 to 5 months. The results were evaluated in terms of clinical examinations and electrophysiological tests. There was a clearly significant difference in favour of isaxonin. Tolerance was good, in particular insofar as the liver was concerned. The dosage of 1175 to 1500 mg/day for adults seemed adequate.

Increase in sleep related GH and Prl secretion after chronic arginine aspartate administration in man.

Arginine aspartate was administered orally (250 mg/dg/day) for one week to 5 healthy male human volunteers aged 20-35. After this period, the 24 h patterns of growth hormone (GH) and prolactin (Prl) secretion were determined by radioimmunoassay on blood samples withdrawn every 20 min and correlated with the polygraphic recordings of electroencephalogram, electromyogram and electrooculogram. the results were compared to data obtained in identical conditions with the same subjects but after a week of placebo administration. In all 5 subjects the slow wave sleep related GH peak was about 60% higher after a week of arginine aspartate administration than in the control period, with individual changes of +24, +25, +42, +47 and +162%. The nocturnal mean plasma Prl of each subject was higher after arginine aspartate than before. The nocturnal rise of plasma Prl increased from a mean value of +21.5% during the placebo period to +95% at the end of the arginine aspartate treatment. These hormonal modifications were not accompanied by any detectable alteration of sleep organization and specially of the slow wave sleep pattern, suggesting a direct neuroendocrine action of the drug.

[Effect of DL-allyglycine on amygdala kindling in the rat (author's transl)]. / Effet de la DL-allylglycine sur l'embrasement amygdalien chez le rat.

The effect of decreased cerebral GABA levels on the development of amygdaloid kindling in rats was investigated. DL-Allylglycine, an inhibitor of glutamic acid decarboxylase (GAD), administered for 2 or 9 days (100 mg/kg and 50 mg/kg respectively) was found to accelerate the kindling process. The results are discussed according to a possible role of GABA mechanisms in the kindling phenomenon.

[All-night polygraphic recordings in the child with suspected epileptic seizures, in spite of normal routine and post-sleep deprivation EEGs (author's transl)]. / Interet de l'enregistrement polygraphique du sommeil de nuit chez l'enfant suspect de crises epileptiques, lorsque les EEG de routine et apres privation de sommeil demeurent normaux.

Normal standard EEGs and normal or borderline EEGs after sleep deprivation in children with one or several suspected epileptic seizures are relatively frequent. All-night polygraphic recordings were performed on 31 children, aged 3-11, who fall into this category, in order to demonstrate epileptiform activity. Three of the recordings were normal, whereas 8 were borderline and 20 showed unequivocal epileptiform activity. The rate of sleep activation is discussed according to the types of epilepsies, the age at the first seizure, the frequency of the seizures, and the position of the seizures within the sleep-waking cycle.

[Electrophysiological aspects of alcoholic epilepsy (author's transl)]. / Aspects electrophysiologiques de l'epilepsie ethylique.

Two types of neurophysiological investigations (standard EEG and polygraphic recording of sleep) were performed on a group of subjects suffering from 'alcoholic epilepsy'. Results were then compared with data from normal subjects and chronic alcoholics without epilepsy. Epileptic patterns on standard EEG are rare. They are increased by sleep. Both the alteration of basal activity in wakefulness and the organization of sleep point to a dysfunction of the CNS. The role of chronic alcoholic intoxication in epileptic seizures could be explained through the slowly decreasing biochemical cerebral action after withdrawal, rather than by a local or diffuse effect in the CNS level.

[Sleep apneas and mental deterioration in the elderly subject (author's transl)]. / Apnées au cours du sommeil et détérioration mentale chez le sujet agé.

24 subjects aged more than 65 years classified into 11 non deteriorated subjects and 13 mentally deteriorated subjects by means of tests of mental capacity. They underwent an all-night polygraphic recording including monitoring of respiration by thermistors, strain gauges and ear oximeter. Sleep apneas were detected in either group, but with a greater prevalence in the group of mentally deteriorated subjects. Furthermore significant negative correlations (1) were found between mental capacity and the mean apnea index (p less than .001) and between mental capacity and the total duration of apneas (p less than .01). These data emphasize the interest of all night polygraphic recordings coupled with the control of respiration in mentally deteriorated elderly subjects.

[Auditory brainstem potentials in old adult subjects (author's transl)]. / Les potentiels évoqués auditifs du tronc cérébral chez le sujet agé. Corrélation avec l'E.E.G.

Auditory brainstem potentials were recorded in 54 old adult subjects ranging in age from 61 to 89 years. Attention was paid to interwave latencies in order to assess the effects of aging on central conduction time. The data were compared to those obtained in 41 young adult subjects. Advancing age resulted in a slight-prolongation of I-III, III-V and I-V interpeak latencies when compared to young adult subjects (about 0.2 ms); nevertheless there were no statistical differences between the mean values of old and young subjects. Abnormalities of brainstem potentials were found in 30% of the old patients; i.e. interpeak latency prolongation and desynchronisation. Brainstem abnormalities were more likely to be found in patients with delta E.E.G. activity and criteria of deterioration at the psychometric tests. Lesser degrees of abnormalities (7%) were seen in old patients without any vascular or neurologic disorder, than in patients with one of those pathological processes (77%). The results suggest that brainstem potentials abnormalities observed in old subjects are not related to age as such, but to associated vascular or degenerative disorders, the frequency of which increases with age.

The influence of hippocampal kindling on sleep organization in cats. Effects of alpha-methylparatyrosine.

The effects of daily electrical stimulation of ventral hippocampus (hippocampal kingling) on the sleep-waking cycle were studied in the cat. Hippocampal kindling developed in 61 days and 4 stages according to progressive development of EEG and behavioral seizures and culminated in generalized convulsions. The 'all or none' response of Goddard was found once generalized seizures appeared. The influence of the hippocampal kindling effect on the sleep-waking cycle was investigated kindling and kindled cats. Paradoxical sleep (PS) decreased from stage 2 to stage 4. This diminution persisted even if stimulation was stopped. No significant modifications of waking (W) and slow wave sleep (SWS) occurred. A peculiar facilitation of interictal discharges by SWS was noticed. In contrast, waking and PS inhibited them. The influence of the modification of the sleep-waking cycle induced by alpha-methylparatyrosine (AMPT) known as an inhibitor of catecholamine (CA) synthesis was investigated in hippocampal kidling. Two principal results were found: (1) a PS increase during the 6 h following AMPT injection; (2) a lack or a delay of kindling in two animals which showed an increase of PS after AMPT injections. The results are discussed according to the modifications of both the sleep-waking cycle and the brain catecholamine levels secondary to AMPT treatment.

[Prolactin secretion during sleep at puberty. Preliminary results (author's transl)]. / La sécrétion de prolactine pendant le sommeil en période péripubertaire. Résultats préliminaires.

Plasma prolactin was measured in six normal boys, during night sleep, with simultaneous recording of EEG for determination of the various stages of sleep. Peaks of prolactin appear clearly during cycles of rapid sleep: in prepuberty, the average of night peaks of prolactin is higher than that in post-puberty subjects. These results suggest indirectly, a participation of prolactin in prepuberty adrenal maturation.