Narcolepsy: regional cerebral blood flow during sleep and wakefulness

Serial measurements of regional cerebral blood flow were made by the 133 Xe inhalation method during the early stages of sleep and wakefulness in eight normal volunteers and 12 patients with narcolepsy. Electroencephalogram, electro-oculogram, and submental electromyogram were recorded simultaneously. In normals, mean hemispheric gray matter blood flow (Fg) during stages I and II sleep was significantly less (−9.2 percent) than waking values (84.3 ± 13 ml per 100 gm brain per minute). Maximum regional blood flow decreases during sleep occurred in the brainstem-cerebellar (−25.1 percent), right inferior temporal (−23.1 percent) and bilateral frontal (−18.9 percent) regions ( p p p