Two cases of exploding head syndrome documented by polysomnography that improved after treatment

• Published in: Journal of clinical sleep medicine Vol. 17; no. 1; pp. 103 - 106
• Main Authors: Nakayama, Meiho, Nakano, Natsuko, Mihara, Takenao, Arima, Sachie, Sato, Shintaro, Kabaya, Kayoko, Suzuki, Motohiko, Kitahara, Tadashi
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States American Academy of Sleep Medicine 01.01.2021
• Subjects: Case Reports; Humans; Parasomnias - diagnosis; Polysomnography; Sleep; Sleep Initiation and Maintenance Disorders; Sleep Wake Disorders; PSD; electroconvulsive treatment; exploding head syndrome; Ménière’s disease; tinnitus
• ISSN: 1550-9389; 1550-9397
• DOI: 10.5664/JCSM.8790

Exploding head syndrome is a rare sleep disorder, characterized by an explosive feeling in the head, that occurs during the sleep-wake transition. Usually the attacks are painless, but the fear caused by the attack can result in awakening and insomnia when it is generated frequently. It has been suspected that exploding head syndrome is related to emotional stress, because most patients report stressful life situations in periods when attacks are intense and frequent. The benign character and good prognosis of exploding head syndrome are the most likely reasons why it has not become a subject of more extensive neurologic research. Moreover, most of the articles reported symptomatic episodes but a lack of objective physiologic examinations, such as polysomnography, and effective treatment. Here, we report two cases of exploding head syndrome with the attacks documented by polysomnography and our trial treatment.