Focal epileptic seizures mimicking sleep paralysis.
Carlo Andrea Galimberti, Maria Ossola, Silvia Colnaghi, Carla Arbasino
Epilepsy & behavior : E&B March 2009 DOI: 10.1016/j.yebeh.2008.12.018 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Case study Case report Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 1 |
| Population | A subject with sleep-related events fulfilling diagnostic criteria for sleep paralysis |
| Key findings | The patient's sleep paralysis-like episodes were documented by video/EEG-PSG as focal epileptic seizures, not actual sleep paralysis, indicating that clinical criteria may misdiagnose such cases. |
Abstract
Sleep paralysis (SP) is a common parasomnia. The diagnostic criteria for SP, as reported in the International Classification of Sleep Disorders, are essentially clinical, as electroencephalography (EEG)-polysomnography (PSG) is not mandatory. We describe a subject whose sleep-related events fulfilled the diagnostic criteria for SP, even though her visual hallucinations were elementary, repetitive and stereotyped, thus differing from those usually reported by patients with SP. Video/EEG-PSG documented the focal epileptic nature of the SP-like episodes.