SLEEP SPINDLES IN THE INITIAL-STAGES OF THE VEGETATIVE STATE

The aim of this study was to look for the presence of spindling in the different stages of remission of the vegetative state to underline al l possible correlations with lesional sites, severity of coma and fina l outcome. The nocturnal polygraphic recordings from 30 patients were examined: 20 (15M, 5F, mean age 31.7 years, range 16-41) had originall y suffered a traumatic brain injury, 10 (4M, 6F, mean age 40.5 years, range 24-48) had hypoxic brain lesions. Evidence of spindling, always reduced in density and duration, was found in 44% of these patients, p revalently in the traumatic patients (53.3% versus 30% of hypoxic pati ents). No subjects in the full stage 0, 0-1 of the vegetative state (a pallic syndrome) presented spindling. No significant correlation was f ound between spindling and the following parameters: gender, the time between the onset of coma and the polygraphic recording, or the site o f the lesion.