Sleep and Dream Patterns of Child Schizophrenics

Abstract

Introduction THE NEW electroencephalographic (EEG) and electrooculographic (EOG) studies of sleep stimulated by the pioneer work of Aserinsky, Kleitman, and Dement^1,3,4 have provided an objective method by which the functions of sleeping and dreaming can be explored. In the many sleep laboratories started during the last ten years, continuous EEG and EOG recordings of sleeping subjects have been gathered. These data reliably indicate that cyclic EEG changes occurring at regular intervals throughout the night are remarkably uniform for individual subjects and manifest identifiable developmental changes.^7,9-13,17,18 It has been found that rapid eye movements (REM) occur during periods characterized by a low voltage, nonspindling, relatively fast pattern identified as stage 1. A particular type of mental activity characteristic of dreaming has been strongly suggested as correlating with these periods of stage 1 sleep. Stages 2, 3, and 4 of sleep, or nonREM sleep, are characterized by spindles, K