Sleep spindle and K-complex activation and duration in patients with circadian rhythm disorders

Circadian rhythm disorder is when the body’s biological clock is altered, leading to patients sleeping 3-4 naps of 1-4 hours throughout the 24-hour period instead of a continuous 8-hr sleep session. This form of insomnia greatly decreases the quality of life in the patient. We want to know whether if the altered circadian rhythm reduces the brain’s ability to maintain sleep. This will be found by measuring the time for appearance and duration of sleep spindle and Kcomplex using EEG and MEG recording of 15 patients and 15 healthy individuals. Since circadian rhythm disorder patients are not sleep deprived and still experience normal stages of sleep, the hypothesis is that there will be no difference in the time and duration of spindle formation. If the hypothesis is true, then it can be said that the altered circadian rhythm does not affect the brain’s ability to maintain sleep.

Faculty Supervisor:

Sylvain Baillet

Student:

Partner:

Peking University

Discipline:

Life Sciences

Sector:

Education

University:

McGill University

Program: