Pavor nocturnus

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Classification according to ICD-10
F51.4 Pavor nocturnus
ICD-10 online (WHO version 2019)

The pavor nocturnus ( Latin for nocturnal fear; syn .: "night terrors " or "night terrors ") is a form of sleep disorder . This parasomnia mainly affects small children and school children , but can also be a lifelong problem for adults. Pavor nocturnus often occurs together with sleepwalking and is generally considered harmless.

Symptoms

During the first non-REM sleep phase (typically 15 minutes to an hour after falling asleep) the patient is startled from deep sleep with whimpering, wheezing or usually a scream and is initially vegetatively activated in such a way that he cannot be addressed for up to fifteen minutes can. During this time, the patient feels a great fear, which can be measured by the vegetative. Cold sweat , rapid pulse ( tachycardia ) and accelerated breathing ( tachypnea ) are signs of this vegetative excitement . The patient does not recognize caregivers (e.g. bed partner, children, often the parents) or the environment, is generally very disoriented and can only be awakened with great difficulty. At the end of the attack, he wakes up and usually falls asleep again. Usually he cannot remember the incident or only partially ( amnesia ).

Epidemiology

One to six percent of children are affected by the pavor nocturnus. The disease occurs in families. The frequency peak is between the ages of five and seven. The disease rarely occurs after puberty, but it can also occur in adults. Overall, boys are more frequently affected than girls.

Differential diagnosis

These seizures are not to be confused with nightmares , the dream themes of which are mostly present after awakening and which, according to today's teaching, are to be understood as an independent disease entity .

An EEG check is necessary to rule out latent epilepsy . Further differential diagnosis can also include hypnagogic hallucinations , nocturnal confusion in demented patients, sleep apnea syndrome , and drug-induced anxiety caused by neuroleptics or tricyclic antidepressants .

literature

  • R. Steinberg, H.-G. Weeß, R. Landwehr: Sleep Medicine - Basics and Practice . Uni-med Verlag, Bremen 2000, ISBN 3-89599-465-0 .

Individual evidence

  1. ^ S. Brunnhuber, S. Frauenknecht, K. Lieb: Intensive course in psychiatry and psychotherapy. Urban & Fischer, Munich 2005, ISBN 3-437-42131-X , p. 344.
  2. ↑ A. Culebras: Sleep Disorders and Neurological Disease. Informa Healthcare, 1999, ISBN 0-8247-4191-9 , p. 177.
  3. ^ Neil K. Kaneshiro, David Zieve: Night terror. Pavor nocturnus; Sleep terror disorder. ADAM, accessed July 27, 2011 (Last reviewed: May 1, 2011.).

See also