Enuresis

Abstract: The diurnal variation of plasma vasopressin (AVP), urinary excretion rate, urinary osmolality, and serum osmolality was studied twice in 15 patients with enuresis and in 11 age, weight, and sex matched nonenuretic normal subjects. A diurnal rhythm of AVP with constant levels during the day (8 AM-10 PM) and a highly significant increase during the night (10 PM-8 AM) was found in normal subjects. In contrast, enuretics showed a significantly less pronounced nocturnal increase in AVP with significantly lower nocturnal levels than normal subjects. Normal subjects showed a diurnal rhythm in urinary excretion rate reciprocal to urinary osmolality with a low and highly concentrated nocturnal urinary output. In enuretics, however, this normal diurnal rhythm was absent. In conclusion, an abnormal diurnal rhythm of AVP seems to be an important pathophysiological factor in enuresis, explaining the abnormally high nocturnal urinary volume and the low nocturnal urinary osmolality found in these patients.

Abstract: Objectives. This study examines the prevalence and developmental changes of parasomnias and assesses gender differences, relationships between parasomnias, and associations with anxiety and family adversity using data collected during the course of a longitudinal study of a representative sample of children from Quebec. Method. The present analyses are based on results available for 664 boys and 689 girls for whom mothers have completed questions concerning demographics, parasomnias, and anxiety level. For the prevalence and developmental aspects of parasomnias, prospective data were collected at annual intervals from 11 to 13 years old and retrospective data for the period between ages 3 and 10 years were collected when the children were 10 years old. Results. Somniloquy, leg restlessness, and sleep bruxism are the most frequent parasomnias. More girls were afflicted with leg restlessness, while enuresis and somniloquy were more common in boys. High anxiety scores were found in children suffering from night terrors, somniloquy, leg restlessness, sleep bruxism, and body rocking. Parasomnias were unrelated to the index of family adversity. Conclusions. Although sleepwalking, night terrors, enuresis, and body rocking dramatically decreased during childhood, somniloquy, leg restlessness, and sleep bruxism were still highly prevalent at age 13 years, paralleling results found in adults. Sleepwalking, night terrors, and somniloquy are conditions often found together. The only robust gender difference was for enuresis. High anxiety scores in parasomnias are reported for the first time in a large, controlled study. Sociodemographic variables do not seem to play a major role in the occurrence of parasomnias.