Effects of sleep on somatosensory evoked responses in human: a magnetoencephalographic study.

We studied the effects of sleep on somatosensory evoked magnetic fields (SEFs) following median nerve stimulation in normal subjects, to investigate the changes of functional processing of sensory perception in the primary and second sensory cortices (SI and SII). The early components, 1M, 2M and 3M, which were generated in SI contralateral to the stimulated nerve, showed no significant change of latency or amplitude in stage 1 or 2 as compared with those in the awake state. The long-latency response, 4M whose latency was about 100 ms, was significantly enhanced in stage 2. The 4M was considered to be generated in SI and SII in the awake state, but the enhanced 4M in stage 2 was restricted in SI. The 4M(I) generated in SII of the hemisphere ipsilateral to the stimulated nerve, corresponding to 4M in the contralateral hemisphere, was absent during sleep. These findings were probably due to the difference of activities between SI and SII during sleep, that is, an increase of sensitivity to somatosensory stimulation in SI but a decrease or disappearance in SII.