Multiple Sleep Latency Test

Last updated
Multiple Sleep Latency Test
ICD-9-CM 89.18
OPS-301 code 1-795
MSLT Scores
MinutesSleepiness
0–5Severe
5–10Troublesome
10–15Manageable
15–20Excellent

The Multiple Sleep Latency Test (MSLT) is a sleep disorder diagnostic tool. It is used to measure the time elapsed from the start of a daytime nap period to the first signs of sleep, called sleep latency. The test is based on the idea that the sleepier people are, the faster they will fall asleep.

Contents

The MSLT is used to test for central disorders of hypersomnolence such as narcolepsy or idiopathic hypersomnia, or to distinguish between physical tiredness and true excessive daytime sleepiness. Its main purpose is to discover how readily a person will fall asleep in a conducive setting, how consistent or variable this is, and whether there are abnormalities in the rapidity of REM sleep onset. This can be used to identify and differentiate between various sleep problems.

The test consists of four or five 20-minute nap opportunities set two hours apart, often following an overnight sleep study. During the test, data such as the patient's brain waves, EEG, muscle activity, and eye movements are monitored and recorded. The entire test normally takes about 7 hours during the course of a day.

History

The Multiple Sleep Latency Test was created in 1977 by sleep pioneers William C. Dement and Mary Carskadon. [1] [2] [3] [4] It developed out of repeating a project done in 1970 by Dr. Dement called the 90-minute day. [5] They informally called the 0–5 minute range the twilight zone due to its indication of extreme physical and mental impairment. As an objective measure of daytime sleepiness, the MSLT quickly found additional applications in sleep research, quantifying changes in daytime wakefulness following hypnotic drugs, [6] shifted sleep schedules, [7] and jet lag. [8]

Typical procedure

Preparation: On the day of the test the patient is asked not to consume any stimulants, such as tea, coffee, colas, and chocolate.

Interpretation

A clinical neurophysiologist, neurologist, psychiatrist or sleep specialist will review the results and inform the patient or the patient's primary care physician of the interpretation of the test result in the context of the clinical problem.

The sleep latency (time between the start of the nap opportunity and sleep onset determined by EEG) is determined for each of the four or five nap opportunities. If no sleep occurred during a nap opportunity, the sleep latency is recorded as 20 minutes for that nap opportunity. The average of sleep latency from the four or five naps is taken as the overall sleep latency for the entire test. In general, a sleep latency of less than 8 minutes is considered objective evidence of excessive sleepiness. Additionally, any nap opportunity during which REM sleep onset was noted within 15 minutes is marked as a "sleep-onset REM period (SOREMP)." In the appropriate context, more than 1 SOREMP between the preceding PSG and the MSLT may support a diagnosis of narcolepsy. Results must be interpreted cautiously as comorbid sleep disorders, medications, or recreational drug use can affect REM sleep onset. [10]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sleep disorder</span> Medical disorder of a persons sleep patterns

A sleep disorder, or somnipathy, is a medical disorder of an individual's sleep patterns. Some sleep disorders are severe enough to interfere with normal physical, mental, social and emotional functioning. Sleep disorders are frequent and can have serious consequences on patients' health and quality of life. Polysomnography and actigraphy are tests commonly ordered for diagnosing sleep disorders.

Dyssomnias are a broad classification of sleeping disorders involving difficulty getting to sleep, remaining asleep, or of excessive sleepiness.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sleep debt</span> Cumulative effect of not getting enough sleep

Sleep debt or sleep deficit is the cumulative effect of not getting enough sleep. A large sleep debt may lead to mental or physical fatigue, and can adversely affect one's mood, energy, and ability to think clearly.

William Charles Dement was an American sleep researcher and founder of the Sleep Research Center at Stanford University. He was a leading authority on sleep, sleep deprivation and the diagnosis and treatment of sleep disorders such as sleep apnea and narcolepsy. For this pioneering work in a previously uncharted field in the United States, he is sometimes referred to as the American father of sleep medicine.

Somnolence is a state of strong desire for sleep, or sleeping for unusually long periods. It has distinct meanings and causes. It can refer to the usual state preceding falling asleep, the condition of being in a drowsy state due to circadian rhythm disorders, or a symptom of other health problems. It can be accompanied by lethargy, weakness and lack of mental agility.

Hypersomnia is a neurological disorder of excessive time spent sleeping or excessive sleepiness. It can have many possible causes and can cause distress and problems with functioning. In the fifth edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5), hypersomnolence, of which there are several subtypes, appears under sleep-wake disorders.

A microsleep is a sudden temporary episode of sleep or drowsiness which may last for a few seconds where an individual fails to respond to some arbitrary sensory input and becomes unconscious. Episodes of microsleep occur when an individual loses and regains awareness after a brief lapse in consciousness, often without warning, or when there are sudden shifts between states of wakefulness and sleep. In behavioural terms, MSs may manifest as droopy eyes, slow eyelid-closure, and head nodding. In electrical terms, microsleeps are often classified as a shift in electroencephalography (EEG) during which 4–7 Hz activity replaces the waking 8–13 Hz background rhythm.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Polysomnography</span> Multi-parameter study of sleep and sleep disorders

Polysomnography (PSG) is a multi-parameter type of sleep study and a diagnostic tool in sleep medicine. The test result is called a polysomnogram, also abbreviated PSG. The name is derived from Greek and Latin roots: the Greek πολύς, the Latin somnus ("sleep"), and the Greek γράφειν.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Somnology</span> Scientific study of sleep

Somnology is the scientific study of sleep. It includes clinical study and treatment of sleep disorders and irregularities. Sleep medicine is a subset of somnology.

Cataplexy is a sudden and transient episode of muscle weakness accompanied by full conscious awareness, typically triggered by emotions such as laughing, crying, or terror. Cataplexy is the first symptom to appear in about 10% of cases of narcolepsy, caused by an autoimmune destruction of hypothalamic neurons that produce the neuropeptide hypocretin, which regulates arousal and has a role in stabilization of the transition between wake and sleep states. Cataplexy without narcolepsy is rare and the cause is unknown.

The Epworth Sleepiness Scale (ESS) is a scale intended to measure daytime sleepiness that is measured by use of a very short questionnaire. This can be helpful in diagnosing sleep disorders. It was introduced in 1991 by Dr Murray Johns of Epworth Hospital in Melbourne, Australia.

Excessive daytime sleepiness (EDS) is characterized by persistent sleepiness and often a general lack of energy, even during the day after apparently adequate or even prolonged nighttime sleep. EDS can be considered as a broad condition encompassing several sleep disorders where increased sleep is a symptom, or as a symptom of another underlying disorder like narcolepsy, circadian rhythm sleep disorder, sleep apnea or idiopathic hypersomnia.

The sleep–wake activity inventory (SWAI) is a subjective multidimensional questionnaire intended to measure sleepiness.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mary Carskadon</span> American sleep researcher

Mary A. Carskadon is an American sleep researcher. She is a professor in the Department of Psychiatry and Human Behavior at the Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University. She is also the director of the Sleep and Chronobiology Research Lab at E.P. Bradley Hospital.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sleep study</span> Sleep Medicine

A sleep study is a test that records the activity of the body during sleep. There are five main types of sleep studies that use different methods to test for different sleep characteristics and disorders. These include simple sleep studies, polysomnography, multiple sleep latency tests (MSLTs), maintenance of wakefulness tests (MWTs), and home sleep tests (HSTs). In medicine, sleep studies have been useful in identifying and ruling out various sleep disorders. Sleep studies have also been valuable to psychology, in which they have provided insight into brain activity and the other physiological factors of both sleep disorders and normal sleep. This has allowed further research to be done on the relationship between sleep and behavioral and psychological factors.

In sleep science, sleep onset latency (SOL) is the length of time that it takes to accomplish the transition from full wakefulness to sleep, normally to the lightest of the non-REM sleep stages.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Narcolepsy</span> Human sleep disorder

Narcolepsy is a chronic neurological disorder that impairs the ability to regulate sleep–wake cycles, and specifically impacts REM sleep. The pentad symptoms of narcolepsy include excessive daytime sleepiness (EDS), sleep-related hallucinations, sleep paralysis, disturbed nocturnal sleep (DNS), and cataplexy. People with narcolepsy tend to sleep about the same number of hours per day as people without it, but the quality of sleep is typically compromised.

Idiopathic hypersomnia(IH) is a neurological disorder which is characterized primarily by excessive sleep and excessive daytime sleepiness (EDS). Idiopathic hypersomnia was first described by Bedrich Roth in 1976, and it can be divided into two forms: polysymptomatic and monosymptomatic. The condition typically becomes evident in early adulthood and most patients diagnosed with IH will have had the disorder for many years prior to their diagnosis. As of August 2021, an FDA-approved medication exists for IH called Xywav, which is an oral solution of calcium, magnesium, potassium, and sodium oxybates; in addition to several off-label treatments (primarily FDA-approved narcolepsy medications).

Sleep onset is the transition from wakefulness into sleep. Sleep onset usually transits into non-rapid eye movement sleep but under certain circumstances it is possible to transit from wakefulness directly into rapid eye movement sleep.

Irregular sleep–wake rhythm disorder (ISWRD) is a rare form of circadian rhythm sleep disorder. It is characterized by numerous naps throughout the 24-hour period, no main nighttime sleep episode, and irregularity from day to day. Affected individuals have no pattern of when they are awake or asleep, may have poor quality sleep, and often may be very sleepy while they are awake. The total time asleep per 24 hours is normal for the person's age. The disorder is serious—an invisible disability. It can create social, familial, and work problems, making it hard for a person to maintain relationships and responsibilities, and may make a person home-bound and isolated.

References

  1. Carskadon, M.A.; Dement, W.C. Sleep tendency: an objective measure of sleep loss. Sleep Research 6: 200, 1977.
  2. Richardson, G.S.; Carskadon, M.A.; Flagg, W.; Van den Hoed, J.; Dement, W.C.; Mitler, M.M. Excessive daytime sleepiness in man: multiple sleep latency measurement in narcoleptic and control subjects. Electroencephalogr Clin Neurophysiol. 1978 Nov;45(5):621–627.
  3. Carskadon, M.A.; Dement, W.C.; Mitler, M.M.; Roth, T.; Westbrook, P.R.; Keenan, S. Guidelines for the Multiple Sleep Latency Test (MSLT): a standard measure of sleepiness. Sleep 1986; 9:519–524
  4. Thorpy, M.J.; Westbrook, P.; Ferber, R.; Fredrickson, P.; Mahowald, M.; Perez-Guerra, F.; Reite, M.; Smith, P. The clinical use of the Multiple Sleep Latency Test. Sleep 1992; 15:268–276.
  5. Carskadon, M.A.; Dement, W.C. Sleep studies on a 90-minute day. Electroencephalogr. Clin. Neurophysiol. 39: 145–155, 1975.
  6. Carskadon, M.A.; Seidel, W.F.; Greenblatt, D.J.; Dement WC. Daytime carryover of triazolam and flurazepam in elderly insomniacs. Sleep 1982; 5:361-371.
  7. Seidel, W.F.; Roth, T; Zorick, F; Roehrs, T; Dement, W.C. Treatment of a 12-hour shift of sleep schedule with benzodiazepines. Science 1984; 224:1262-1264.
  8. Dement WC, Seidel WF, Cohen SA, Bliwise NG, Carskadon MA. Sleep and wakefulness in aircrew before and after transoceanic flights. Aviation, Space & Environmental Medicine (suppl) 1986; 57:B14-B28.
  9. "Multiple Sleep Latency Test". American Academy of Sleep Medicine. September 2020. Retrieved 11 November 2024.
  10. Das, John; Stahl, Stephanie (20 April 2024). "Diagnosing Narcolepsy by MSLT Without Taking in the Full Picture". Sleep . 47 (1): A519–A520. doi:10.1093/sleep/zsae067.01219.