[Paroxysmal nocturnal activity in partial epilepsy in the adult].

Thirty-four adults with partial epilepsy underwent polysomnographic sessions. Three sub-groups of patients were determined by timing their EEG paroxysmal activities (PA) according to the possible increase in PA related to their sleeping or awake state. Twenty-seven had an increase in PA when sleeping, 5 when awake and no significant difference was found in two other patients. Patients who suffered from nocturnal or partial elementary epileptic seizures were those who showed a PA increase when in a sleep state. These patients had a lower PA density during a waking state than the patients with a PA increase when awake. The more synchronized (stages 3 + 4) and desynchronized (waking) cortical states influence the PA densities in such a way that there is a significant difference between both sub-groups. The PA density modulation found with the slow-wave sleep stages adds to that induced by sleep and waking states.