Sleep electroencephalographic patterns and cranial computed tomography in anxiety disorders

Abstract

Sleep electroencephalogram (EEG) and cranial computed tomography (CT) were performed in 15 drug-free inpatients with an anxiety disorder. The sleep EEG of the patients was characterized by a decreased sleep efficiency and a shortened REM latency. Under visual inspection, four (27%) patients showed ventricular enlargement, while an increased ventricular brain ratio (VBR) was measured in five (33%). No clear associations between EEG sleep measures and ventricular size became obvious, although there is good evidence in the literature that sleep continuity, slow-wave sleep, or REM sleep are closely related to ventricular and/or sulcal widening in various neuropsychiatric disorders.