Orienting reaction in patients with night terrors.

A polygraphic study of the somatic (electromyogram), autonomic (finger plethysmogram, galvanic skin reaction, respiration, pulse), and electroencephalographic (acoustic-evoked potential and EEG-blocking reaction) components of the orienting reaction elicited by an auditory stimulus was performed in 36 patients with night terrors and in 72 matched subjects in two control groups. The study showed a significantly more intense orienting reaction in patients with night terrors than in normal subjects (Control Group I). Moreover, the orienting reaction intensity in subjects with night terrors was significantly lower than in patients with symptomatic epilepsy (Control Group II). The orienting reactions of patients with night terrors depended on the patient's age, the history of nocturnal episodes, and their clinical form, as well as on etiology.