China
Africa
Explore chapters and articles related to this topic
Exploding Head Syndrome
Published in Alexander R. Toftness, Incredible Consequences of Brain Injury, 2023
The primary symptom of exploding head syndrome is hearing a loud noise just as you are falling asleep or, less commonly, upon waking up (Sharpless, 2018). People with this condition report that it feels like the noise is deep inside of their heads (Pearce, 1988). The startling noise typically lasts for only a fraction of a second and may be accompanied by a flash of light or sudden jerking of the limbs (Evans & Pearce, 2001). Most people do not experience flashing lights as part of exploding head syndrome, but they do occur in about a third of people (Sharpless, 2018). This condition is usually not painful, but it is “unpleasant and sometimes terrifying” (Queiroz, 2013, p. 13).
Sleep and headache disorders
Published in S.R. Pandi-Perumal, Meera Narasimhan, Milton Kramer, Sleep and Psychosomatic Medicine, 2017
C. Rains Jeanetta, J. Steven Poceta, B. Penzien Donald
The syndrome is considered to be a rare and benign disorder of the wake-to-sleep or sleep-to-wake transition. The condition appears to be a sensory variant of the better-known transient motor phenomenon of sleep starts or hypnic jerks occurring at wake–sleep transition. The neurophysiologic mechanisms underlying these hypnagogic phenomena are unknown. There are few studies on exploding head syndrome.33 In one study of nine patients with a history of the syndrome using polysomnographic recordings, five patients reported the sensation of “explosions” during the recording period, and in each case, the electroencephalogram (EEG) demonstrated that the patients were awake and relaxed. Two attacks were characterized by EEG arousals, while no EEG changes were observed in the remaining three. No epileptiform activity was recorded in any case.34
Tinnitus and Hyperacusis
Published in John C Watkinson, Raymond W Clarke, Christopher P Aldren, Doris-Eva Bamiou, Raymond W Clarke, Richard M Irving, Haytham Kubba, Shakeel R Saeed, Paediatrics, The Ear, Skull Base, 2018
Exploding head syndrome is a parasomnia phenomenon characterized by the perception of a sudden loud noise in the head or ears that occurs during a transition of sleep stages. Because there is an auditory hallucination some patients may be referred to tinnitus clinics though referral to sleep clinics or neurologists also occurs. Exploding head syndrome is generally hypnagogic, occurring at the interface from wakefulness to sleep, but can be hypnopompic, presenting at the onset of wakefulness. The range of sounds reported is large and includes sounds such as explosions, banging, roaring, voices yelling, a bell ringing or the thunder crack accompanying lightning. The auditory hallucination is accompanied by visual sensations in approximately 10% of cases, with sufferers describing experiences such as a brief vivid flash of light.225 Other sensory experiences may be reported including a feeling of heat or an electrical sensation.226,227 The phenomenon is generally painless and has no serious medical sequelae though understandably it may generate feelings of shock and fear. Tachycardia and palpitations have been reported after an episode. Historically exploding head syndrome has been said to be a rare,228 to be more common in women than men229 and to be more common in those over 50.225 However, a study of 211 undergraduate students suggested that the condition may be more common than previously thought, may occur in younger people and may have no gender imbalance.230 The natural history of the condition seems unpredictable from evidence derived from the available case reports, with some people reporting a single episode whereas others experience multiple events per night; the problem can be persistent over many years or can spontaneously remit.
Update on nonpharmacological interventions in parasomnias
Published in Postgraduate Medicine, 2020
Maria Ntafouli, Andrea Galbiati, Mary Gazea, Claudio L.A. Bassetti, Panagiotis Bargiotas
Exploding Head Syndrome (EHS) is a condition in which a person experiences unreal noises, specifically loud and short, during falling asleep or waking up [90]. Very few data on the behavioral treatment in patients with EHS is available. Education and reassurance could be helpful in patients with EHS [91,92], however further research is needed.