Sleep study results

[wonderdogs]

So I had my sleep study and I am going to see my neurologist tomorrow to discuss it with her. My sleep apnea was classified as mild and they did not think a CPAP would be of benefit to me. They recommended some kind of dental appliance or upper airway surgery or a combination of the two.

The report also said I had no REM sleep and no seizure activity (though EEG is limited on a polysomnogram).

1st: is anyone familiar with the dental appliance or the surgery they refer to and what is involved?

2nd: what does it mean that I had no REM sleep?

3rd: I guess this test does not accurately tell my neurologist if the Keppra is effectively controling my seizures because a complete EEG was not done. What a pain in the neck.

That's all! Thanks for your suport!

[RobinN]

This is outside of anything I am knowledgable about.
You have some very good questions... My question to you is why didn't you ask your doctor what this meant and involved?

[Bernard]

Sounds like you got some answers and a new set of questions. Progress!

On Q2:

similar question on sleep apnea forum - last post speculates that the sleep period may not have been long enough to capture REM phase. But I think I read before that normal sleeping patterns cycle through REM sleep on and off.

There are plenty of people who have no REM sleep -- for various reasons -- who don't have memory problems, Siegel says. People taking drugs known as MAO inhibitors for depression are a perfect example; so are some brain injury patients.

Also, people who learn very well -- those with high IQs -- do not seem to have any pattern of greater REM sleep than those who are retarded. Likewise, some of the smartest animals -- dolphins, whales -- get very little REM sleep whereas the platypus, an entirely instinct-driven animal, gets more REM sleep than any other animal.

In fact, among all the animals, humans don't have especially high or low amounts of REM sleep, he tells WebMD. "We really don't know the purpose of REM sleep," Siegel says. "We don't even fully understand learning."

REM sleep may actually help us with certain types of learning -- what's called "procedural" learning, "when you're learning how rather than what," says Robert Stickgold, PhD, assistant professor of psychiatry at Harvard Medical School and a cognitive neuroscientist.

Unlocking the Mysteries of Sleep

wikipedia on REM sleep - see theories about the function of REM sleep (most statements have references).

[wonderdogs]

This is outside of anything I am knowledgable about.
You have some very good questions... My question to you is why didn't you ask your doctor what this meant and involved?

Having been in the healthcare profession for 9 years, 4 years in durable medical equipment providing service for CPAP users, I was pretty familiar with the polysomnogram procedure. I also have other family members with sleep apnea and because of that history my neurologist agreed that this test would be worthwhile to make sure I am not having apneas in my sleep, which may or may not have been a seizure trigger.

EEG is recorded during the sleep study but there are fewer electrodes on the head and more on your face to record REM and chin/jaw movements, and on the extremities to detect limb movements as well as microphones, sensors, and pulse ox to monitor your breathing patterns and o2 saturations.

I remember from my first (and only EEG) back in November that most of my abnormality was in the temporal lobe (now I don't remember which side, but one side was more dominant than the other). I will have to ask my neurologist tomorrow if the activity in the temporal lobe was recorded in the SS. If so, the test indicated it was normal.

Is the Keppra helping or was it just a quiet night in my brain? THAT is the question!

[RobinN]

If so, the test indicated it was normal.

So that would be a good thing....?

That was interesting Bernard.

[wonderdogs]

Yes, thank you for that link, Bernard. I just was able to read it today. Sleep is quite a mystery.

[wonderdogs]

My neurologist referred me to a pulmonologist to review my SS and better determine a course of action to treat mild sleep apnea. My appointment for that is on Valentine's day!

Overall I told her I was happy with the dose of Keppra I am on and I have noticed a great improvement in memory retention and functionability.

[RobinN]

I am reading lots of good news today in the forum. I sure hope it is contagious.

[brain]

That's great news to hear that
Keppra's working for you!

[TeeTees]

Here's a linky to the surgery they're talking about :

http://www.quietsleep.com/Snoringsleepapnea/surgery.cfm

...and here's one for the oral appliances :

http://www.quietsleep.com/oralapplia...ncetherapy.cfm

(there's some more lists on the left of the above clicky's that you may find interesting too)