[Clinico-theoretical aspects of cerebrospinal fluid pressure changes associated with sleep analysis in patients with hydrocephalus caused by posterior fossa tumors].

In 6 patients treated for hydrocephalus caused by posterior fossa tumours simultaneous continuous measurement of intraventricular cerebrospinal fluid pressure and all-night polygraphic sleep recording were carried out before and after implantation of ventriculoatrial valve. It was observed that in patients with hydrocephalus and raised CSF pressure electrography demonstrated a breakdown of the cyclic sleep pattern with increased duration of light sleep and higher number of awakening episodes, and with reduced amount of deep sleep and nearly complete absence of REM sleep. The degree of sleep disturbances seemed to be correlated with increased value of CSF pressure. In that period discrepancies were observed between the sleep record suggesting waking and the behaviour of the patient who was asleep at that time. With normalization of CSF pressure record (after valve implantation) an improvement of sleep pattern was observed which approached the normal one.