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Neurology (Expert Forum)
sleep disorder/add/neurology
This forum is for questions and support regarding neurology issues such as: Alzheimer's Disease, ALS, Autism, Brain Cancer, Cerebral Palsy, Chronic Pain, Epilepsy, Fibromyalgia, Headaches, MS, Neuralgia, Neuropathy, Parkinson's Disease, RSD, Sleep Disorders, Stroke, Traumatic Brain Injury
sleep disorder/add/neurology
by Julie Walsh, Feb 04, 2002 12:00AM
my 6yr old had febrile seizures at 18 mo, and then started night terrors. The sleep problems have gotten more complex; some are terrors, sometimes he will sleepwalk, and often he acts out his dream. He is not scared or anything, he's just participating in a dream as if the people he's talking to are really there (beyond sleep-talking -he's up and moving). When it was almost exclusively night-terror-like, at 3, and he could vocalize, he described myself or a man coming after him with a knife (I don't know where he gets the images..). Keeping it quite cold in his room can head off the night terrors, in summer or if it's warm, then they'll happen 5 nights of 7. He's had 3 sleep-deprived EEGs all with the results: abnormal, unknown clinical signifigance. Whether or not he's had a sleep-event, there are some mornings (2-3 per wk or so) where he gets up and you'd think he never slept. he has bags under his eyes and he can't cope at all. it's always been like that - he had to nap up until school started. now he's having behavioural probs in school - almost ADHD-like, except he can attend and focus, and that it depends on the day cuz some days he's just fine. he's been refered to a neurologist for a video eeg (?is this the o/n sleep one?). are there questions I should ask the neurologist? other information I should examine? He's very bright, but starting to fall behind emotionally, and since he's been having problems in school, he's started speaking so negatively about himself: 'i'm bad'.'i'm stupid','i can't learn to listen'..... what is going on here? and how can i help my son?
Doctor's Answer
by CCF-Neuro-M.D.-JT, Feb 05, 2002 12:00AM
I can understand your concern, especially since his symptoms are affecting his schoolwork and self-esteem. Video EEG monitoring refers to continuous minute to minute monitoring of the brain wave activity as well as video recording of the patient's activities. Patients are kept overnight for at least one day and then as long as needed for data gathering. Tell the neuro about the triggers such as temperature, which we sometimes use to stimulate the events in question if the patient doesn't have one on their own. Also, if the exam and/or EEG are showing abnormalities, imaging studies such as an MRI may be helpful. FInally, the best thing that you can do for your son right now is to be supportive. Reinforce all of his positive traits and let him know that he is not any of those things that he's saying. Best of luck.
Is this a symptom of something? His father is an adult sleepwalker, and both his parents talked in their sleep alot as children and occasionally do now, as well.
When did you notice symptoms in your 6 year old?
To Everyone: How are the other family members (especially when they were kids?)
right now based on his symptoms, they think he has narcolepsy - which symptoms manifest somewhat differently in children than adults. The couple of comments you made regarding your grandson suggest to me that you may want to look at those areas for his needs.