Traumatic brain injuries lead to lengthy sleep disorders

Heavy head injuries disturb the human sleep pattern
A heavy blow to the head can lead to unexpected consequences. Researchers found that traumatic injuries to our brain cause our sleep patterns to be disturbed. These sleep disorders can last for more than a year.

Scientists from the University Hospital Zurich have now found in their study that severe head injuries lead to traumatic effects. These then disturb our sleep pattern. This condition can last up to more than one year. The physicians published the results of their study in the journal "Neurology".

Physicians found that serious head injuries can trigger sleep problems. These sleep disorders are then retained for a long period of time. (Image: Karin & Uwe Annas / fotolia.com)

Study examines subjects over a period of 18 months
The scientists investigated the effects of traumatic brain injury on our sleep behavior. They were able to discover that human sleep is significantly disturbed by such injuries. For their study, the researchers evaluated the data from 31 people who had previously suffered traumatic brain injury (TBI). The physicians analyzed the sleep time, possible waking phases at night and how rested the subjects felt during the day. In addition, the scientists observed a control group of 42 healthy individuals. Over a period of 18 months, the sleep pattern of the participants was recorded. In addition, within the study, they carried devices that tracked their body movements for two weeks. During the entire time the subjects also slept one night in a laboratory. In this brain activity and other body functions were monitored, the experts explain.

People with TBI need more sleep but are still sleepy during the day
It has been found that people with TBI need more sleep. Those affected need about eight hours of sleep per night. That's an hour more than with injury-free participants, say the authors. The study also found that about 67 percent of people with TBI felt drowsy and slack during the day. Only about 19 percent of healthy participants reported excessive daytime sleepiness, explain the experts. The current study relies on the results of many previous studies from recent years. In these had already suggested that TBI could be associated with sleep disorders, explained the lead author Dr. Lukas Imbach from the University Hospital Zurich. However, it was not clear how the frequency and the cause of sleep disorders are explained, the expert adds. The new study is the longest prospective study on sleep quality and TBI. Most older studies followed participants only for a period of about six months after they had suffered traumatic brain injury, say the physicians. It used to be thought that the effect wears off faster. But the new results clearly show that sleep problems can last up to 18 months Imbach.

People with TBI suffer from disturbed functions during the day
The researchers also found in their study that people with TBI are less accurate when recording their own sleep patterns. This gave the medical professionals cause for concern, because sleep disorders thus have serious effects on the functions of waking patients. The cause for these disturbed functions is still unknown, but we plan to continue researching in this direction, Dr. Imbach. In the United States alone, the effects of traumatic brain injury affect about 1.7 million people per year, the authors add. (As)