The goal of this research is to develop an innovative new method of using auditory evoked responses as a measure of state of arousal, of depth of sleep, and of factors of importance in sleep disorders. The new method, utilizing higher-than-usual stimulation rates to record G-waves from the scalps of humans; will be compared with standard measures of depth of sleep recorded from EEG, EOG, and EMG electrodes. Since our Phase I studies suggest that G-waves are affected by sleep, and since G-waves provide new measures of brain activity, the research proposed here will determine the correlations of changes in these new measures with changes in standard measures of sleep. Other studies will look for optimum stimulus and stimulation parameters. G-waves may provide a new tool for clinicians who are diagnosing and treating patients with sleep disorders.
