Bladder pressure correlates of EEG abnormalities observed during wakefulness and the different stages of sleep in epileptic subjects
Di Perri, R.; Meduri, M.; Musolino, R.
Acta Neurologica 33(1): 14-21
1978
ISSN/ISBN: 0001-6276 PMID: 417563 Document Number: 127442
Possible subclinical variations of vesical pressure levels in relation to ictal or interictal hypersynchronous EEG abnormalities were investigated in epileptic subjects during wakefulness and the various stages of sleep. Simultaneous all night polygraphic records of various physiological parameters (EEG, EMG electromyogram, EOG electro-oculogram, ECG) were measured together with a continuous monitoring of intravesical pressure [IP]. In order to make possible a straight, continuous correlation among variations in IP levels, polygraphic sleep stages, levels of vesical content and EEG epileptic abnormalities were measured. The presence of transitory increases in IP directly correlated with EEG hypersynchronous discharges and without any dependence on the state of vigilance of the subjects was indicated. Increases in urinary bladder pressure were observed only when the values of vesical content were higher than 50% of the bladder capacity and in coincidence with spike- and wave or polyspike EEG discharges, provided that they were bilateral, hypersynchronous, symmetrical and lasting longer than 3 s. Similar discharges, but with a lower duration, or focal charges, even with a much longer duration, did not exert any effect on vesical pressure.