Abstract:  

Changes in sleep characteristics in individuals with chronic stroke are not well described, particularly compared with healthy individuals. Therefore, the aim of this pilot study was to explore the sleep characteristics in individuals with chronic stroke compared to age- and sex-matched controls. Sixteen individuals with chronic stroke and ten age- and sex-matched controls underwent two nights of polysomnographic recording. The sleep characteristics of interest included total sleep time, sleep efficiency, and percent time, as well as time in minutes spent in stages N1, N2, and N3 and stage R sleep. The individuals with chronic stroke spent less percent time in stage N3 compared with controls (P=0.048). No significant differences in the other sleep characteristics were found between the stroke and control groups. Individuals with chronic stroke present with altered stage N3 sleep compared with healthy controls. These alterations in stage N3 sleep might be a sign of neuronal dysfunction and may impact recovery following stroke. A larger scale study is needed to confirm these findings.