The abrupt shift to slower frequencies after arousal from sleep in healthy young adults

Study Objectives: Postarousal hypersynchrony (PAH) is an atypical arousal pattern in children's electroencephalography. PAH is an abrupt shift to slower frequencies in arousal-related responses, appearing as slow-wave clusters. In contrast, the prevalence of PAH in healthy young adults is still unknown. Here, we examined the prevalence and characteristics of PAH in healthy young participants. Methods: Thirty healthy young participants underwent 1 night of polysomnography (13 females, 22.8 +/- 2.0 years [mean +/- standard deviation]). We examined the prevalence of PAH as a function of sleep stage, sleep cycle, and time course (the first or the second half). The correlation between PAH and sleep variables was examined. The percent of total sleep time in the N3 stage (%N3) was compared for each sleep cycle and time course. Results: Twenty-eight out of 30 participants exhibited PAH (4.6 +/- 4.8 times per night). PAH increased significantly during the first sleep cycle and the first half-sleep period. It was observed only in nonrapid eye movement and not in rapid eye movement sleep. The number of PAHs correlated with the number of arousals and arousal indices. The %N3 increased in the first half-sleep and the first sleep cycle. Conclusions: PAH was relatively common in healthy young participants. Since PAH occurred in a state with a high prevalence of %N3, the first sleep cycle, or the first half-sleep, we suggest that PAH may be affected by the sleep homeostasis process. Since PAH occurred only in non-rapid eye movement sleep and correlated with arousal increment, it may have the function of suppressing non-rapid eye movement sleep's cortical arousal.