From Sleep Slow Waves to Sleepwalking: Markers of Arousal Dysregulation in NREM Parasomnias

Sleep slow waves are key brain rhythms of non-REM sleep, essential for memory, learning, and brain maturation. They change markedly with age, becoming smaller, more anterior, and more globally synchronized during development. While cortical mechanisms are well studied, the role of thalamocortical pathways remains unclear.

This project, part of the international SLOW-TALE collaboration, will enrich the existing normative framework by including a unique cohort of very young children. By adding this early developmental group, the project will fill a critical gap in the maturational spectrum, complementing the current SLOW-TALE dataset focused on older children and adolescents. In parallel, the project will investigate children with NREM parasomnias (Disorders of Arousal), such as sleepwalking and night terrors. These common conditions are linked to abnormal hypersynchronous slow waves and impaired arousal regulation.

Using high-density EEG and advanced MRI, the project will map developmental trajectories, compare patients with age-matched controls, and assess brain structural and connectivity differences in healthy children and parasomnia patients. The study is expected to provide novel mechanistic insights, identify candidate sleep markers for early diagnosis, and strengthen the translational impact of SLOW-TALE by integrating both clinical and early-developmental perspectives. At least two peer-reviewed publications and several conference presentations are planned as concrete dissemination outcomes.