Cyclic alternating pattern

Article summary

The cyclic alternating pattern (abbreviated CAP) is a pattern of two long-lasting alternate electroencephalogram (EEG) patterns that occur in sleep. It is a pattern of spontaneous cortical activity which is ongoing and occurs in the absence of sensory stimulation. It is the reorganization of the sleeping brain challenged by the modification of environmental conditions and it is characterized by periodic abnormal electrocortical activity that recurs with a frequency of up to one minute. It is considered "the EEG marker of unstable sleep". CAP does not occur during rapid eye movement sleep (REM). In Lennox-Gastaut syndrome, CAP modulates the occurrence of clinical seizures and generalized epileptic discharges by means of a gate-control mechanism. CAP is a marker of sleep instability and it is found during non-rapid eye movement sleep (NREM). CAP is organized into sequences of successive cycles composed of two phases, A and B. Phase A involves phasic events, in other words, not continuous. Phase A subtypes of CAP allow adaptive adjustments of ongoing states to internal and external inputs. Phase B refers to background rhythm during CAP. Furthermore, CAP involves cerebral activities and is influenced by autonomic and motor functions.…

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