Disorders of sleep structure and autonomic regulation in the sleep of patients with stroke

Peculiarities of both the structure of night sleep and autonomic regulation in the sleep were studied in 30 patients with ischemic stroke of different location. Clinical, polysomnographic (including autonomie indices) and psychologic methods were used. Considerable alterations in the structure of night sleep were observed, namely: lengthening of the period of falling asleep, increase of the time of awakening inside the sleep, impossibility to support necessary duration of both stages and phases of sleep. The indices of cardiovascular system's activity such as heart rate (HR) and arterial pressure (AP) were altered most of all. The most dramatic disorders of both the structure of sleep and autonomic regulation in the sleep were found in right hemispheric and medial location of ischemic stroke. High values of HR and AP in the sleep (especially in phase of the fast sleep), high HR and AP variability as well as the decrease of these indices from the first cycle of the sleep to the third one were prognostically unfavourable factors.