ANTERIOR FONTANELLE PRESSURE VARIATIONS DURING SLEEP IN HEALTHY INFANTS

Our aim was to study the intracranial pressure (ICP) variations during sleep in normal infants. Using a noninvasive method, ICP was measured continuously during polysomnography in 12 healthy infants aged from 1 to 11 months (median 3.5 months). We analyzed the variations of mean basal ICP, mean basal pulse pressure amplitude and maximal amplitude o f both plateau and B-like waves between transient sleep, quiet sleep a nd rapid eye movement (REM) sleep. Mean ICP, mean pulse pressure ampli tude and B-like wave amplitude increased significantly during transien t deep and REM sleep. Plateau waves occurred during transient sleep an d especially REM sleep. By contrast, noninvasive ICP recordings were r elatively flat during quiet sleep stages 2 and 3. ICP variations and p ressure waves seem to be related to cerebrovascular changes associated with sleep. The physiological ICP variations during sleep must be kno wn in order to allow correct interpretation of continuous ICP measurem ents in infants.