[Topographical distribution of slow sleep rhythms in children withdrawn from barbiturates (author's transl)].

An automatic analysis of the topographical distribution of slow sleep rhythms was performed and 53 night sleep recordings obtained from 10 children chronically treated by barbiturates; a barbiturate withdrawal was undertaken in these children to eliminate the side effects of the drug likely to impair their development or their behaviour. Compared to the data obtained in a control group, marked differences were observed in this population, bearing on the magnitude, the topographical distribution and the interhemispheric symmetry of the delta power curves. During and after withdrawal, changes could occur in these curves; as a whole, the organization of the curves was closer to those of controls when the withdrawal was completed for at least 2 months but their magnitudes remained either higher or lower than control values. No relationship could be established between the curve parameters and the dosage of the drug. The observed changes between successive records are interpreted in relation to the concept of cerebral plasticity.