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The function of 'brain waves': a cybernetic model of electroencephalography.

M ben-Aaron

Medical Hypotheses 2003 DOI: 10.1016/s0306-9877(03)00240-8 (opens in new tab)

Study at a glance

AI-extracted from the abstract
Characteristics Theoretical or philosophical paper Peer reviewed
Key points Proposes that narcolepsy results from entrainment of cerebral waves causing rapid entry into REM sleep.

Abstract

Electroencephalograms recorded from sleeping subjects are reinterpreted, from first principles, to explain the relationship between the observed wave-forms and cerebral processes. The manifestations of narcolepsy, namely, sleep paralysis, hypnopompic hallucinations and cataplexy are consistent with a hypothesis that the disorder is the result of entrainment of cerebral waves, causing almost instantaneous descent into a REM sleep state.