alpha wave intrusion

snoozeandlose · Post by **snoozeandlose** » Fri Jan 12, 2007 9:04 pm

Just diagnosed with alpha wave intrusion. This means even though my OSA is controlled with CPAP I am not getting restorative sleep due to the alpha waves that continue once I am asleep. Anyone else out there with this diagnosis?

JPO · Post by **JPO** » Fri Jan 12, 2007 9:13 pm

That's interesting - I was diagnosed with central events. Is that what they are referring to? I asked my psychologist about brain wave activity associated with central events since he conducted brain wave tests on me. (I think they showed that I was sleepy.)

He said that he never heard of central events, which is not surprising in his line of work.

Rachael · Post by **Rachael** » Fri Jan 12, 2007 9:22 pm

I have that, Alpha Delta sleep they called it. But I still don't really understand what it is or what causes it. I have done several searches with a variety of wording and not much comes up.

I can say that it is more common in people with Upper Airway Resistance Syndrome. It seems as though in some ways UARS and sleep apnea are opposite, in that the neurons that sense obstruction in sleep apnea are under sensitive whereas in UARS they are over sensitive.

I also had a lot of spontaneous arousals, and I don't understand why that would be.

Not much help, but hey, you're not alone.

snoozeandlose · Post by **snoozeandlose** » Sat Jan 13, 2007 8:39 am

Search under alpha wave intrusion. You will get a lot of hits that involve fibromyalgia which is a disorder that causes chronic pain, muscles aches and chronic fatique like symptoms.

Also this is associated with chronic fatigue and treatment resistant depression, foggy thinking, memory problems and feeling tired no matter how much sleep you get. The alpha brain waves don't turn off when you fall asleep so you never get the deep--i guess level 4--sleep you need to heal your body and restore you mind.

I don't know if alpha delta sleep is eactly the same or not. Their is a sleep clinic in Cincinnati that has pioneered treatment for this using medication with great results. Email me if you want the name. Thanks

JPO · Post by **JPO** » Tue Jan 16, 2007 8:58 am

When my psychologist was looking at my brain waves he said I had strong Delta waves which indicated that I was sleepy.

Hmm. . .

faceless041974 · Post by **faceless041974** » Tue Jan 16, 2007 10:45 am

I also have these. My doctor also said that it can be attributed to fibromyalgia. I dont think I have that but he said they can also be helped sometimes by using antidepressants. You may want to look into that. I havent started treatment yet as I just saw him yesterday so I dont know if it helps or not.

gracie97 · Post by **gracie97** » Wed Jan 17, 2007 12:02 am

faceless041974 wrote:I also have these. My doctor also said that it can be attributed to fibromyalgia. I dont think I have that but he said they can also be helped sometimes by using antidepressants. You may want to look into that. I havent started treatment yet as I just saw him yesterday so I dont know if it helps or not.

I thought alpha intrusion was thought to cause fibromyalgia, not the other way around. Have seen research that indicated that almost all women with fibromyalgia have upper air resistance syndrome (UARS) and that almost all of the relatively few men who have fibromyalgia have OSA.

The antidepressants that are commonly used to reduced alpha intrusion and improve sleep are small doses of the old tricyclics, e.g. Elavil. Trazadone is also used.

(I can't use them: Even tiny doses of Elavil make me crave sweets and put on weight. And Trazadone has a paradoxical effect, keeping me awake all night.)

My recollection is that Benadryl (or the generic equivalent) is also somewhat effective against alpha intrusion. But it is notorious for setting off restless leg syndrome in those so inclined.

Grace

CatherineF · Post by **CatherineF** » Tue Jul 26, 2011 7:45 am

Old thread, but interesting for me. Alpha intrusions are often caused by overreactive nervous system and sympathetic dominance. This is what happens in UARS, brain is more prone to wake a person up even with small flow limitation (or even without it).Trazodone helps because it INCREASES arousal threshold and it acts on neurotransmitters and HPA axis. So as triciclic antidepressants. I am testing adaptogenic herbs now, they also serve to reregulate HPA axis and soothe NS. I wonder wheter I will have some effects.Along with CPAP certainly.

Julie · Post by **Julie** » Tue Jul 26, 2011 11:22 am

I hate to disagree, but Trazadone increases the arousal threshhold - Google it and see all the articles.

CatherineF · Post by **CatherineF** » Tue Jul 26, 2011 1:25 pm

Julie wrote:I hate to disagree, but Trazadone increases the arousal threshhold - Google it and see all the articles.

Julie of course it is true, I meant that we are less prone to encounter arousals taking trazodone in my post should be exactly "increases" not lowers. I am going to correct this. I've read this article few days ago. Btw I've been taking trazodone for quite long, but few years ago when I wasn't on CPAP. Without CPAP therapy there was no effects.

Mr Bill · Post by **Mr Bill** » Tue Jul 26, 2011 10:09 pm

This has me wondering. My sleep technician said I had full arousal after each central but still dozing. I wonder if that is why I sleep so lightly even under therapy. I often wake up after around 6.5 hours and just lay there, logging time, hoping I will fall back asleep.

On topic, my sleep doctor said that for both fibromyalgia and UARS that alpha intrusion occurs while one is still asleep but it nevertheless interferes with sleep and leaves you tired in the morning. In the former because of pain while unconscious in sleep and in the latter because of airway resistance rousing your autonomic system.

alpha wave intrusion

alpha wave intrusion

Re: alpha wave intrusion

Re: alpha wave intrusion

Re: alpha wave intrusion

Re: alpha wave intrusion