Hostname: page-component-78c5997874-g7gxr Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-13T01:42:41.906Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false

Hypersomnia

A Discussion of Psychiatric Implications Based on Three Cases

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  29 January 2018

Alexander Bonkalo*
Affiliation:
University of Toronto, Department of Psychiatry, Toronto, Canada

Extract

Epimenides, a Cretan poet of the 6th century b.c., withdrew into a cave where he fell asleep; he awoke 57 years later (7). This anecdote is probably the first recorded case of hypersomnia. Sleeping Beauty, Rip Van Winkle and other personalities of folklore and literature followed. Clinically valid contributions, however, first appeared around the turn of this century.

Type
Research Article
Copyright
Copyright © Royal College of Psychiatrists, 1968 

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

1. Burwell, C. S., Robin, E. D., Whaley, R. D., and Bickelmann, A. G. (1956). “Extreme obesity associated with alveolar hypoventilation—a Pickwickian syndrome.” Amer. J. Med., 21, 811818.Google Scholar
2. Carrot, J., Velluz, and Rigal, (1947). “Syndrome d'Elpénor.” Presse méd., 55, 573.Google Scholar
3. Critchley, M. (1962). “Periodic hypersomnia and megaphagia in adolescent males.” Brain, 85, 627656.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
4. Critchley, M. and Hoffman, H. L. (1942). “The syndrome of periodic somnolence and morbid hunger (Kleine-Levin syndrome).” Brit. med. J., i, 137139.Google Scholar
5. Drachman, D. B., and Gumnit, R. J. (1962). “Periodic alteration of consciousness in the ‘Pickwickian’ syndrome.” Arch. Neurol . (Chic.), 6, 471477.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
6. Earle, B. V. (1965). “Periodic hypersomnia and megaphagia.” Psychiat. Quart., 39, 7983.Google Scholar
7. “Epimenides” (1966). In Encyclopaedia Britannica, 8, 646. Chicago: Encycl. Brit. Inc.Google Scholar
8. Fenichel, O. (1945). “Hysterical dream states and disturbances of consciousness.” In: The Psychoanalytic Theory of Neurosis. New York: W. W. Norton and Co. Inc.Google Scholar
9. Gallinek, A. (1962). “The Kleine-Levin syndrome: hypersomnia, bulimia and abnormal mental states.” Wld. Neurol., 3, 235241.Google Scholar
10. Gilbert, G. J. (1964). “Periodic hypersomnia and bulimia.” Neurology (Minneap.), 14, 844850.Google Scholar
11. Goldstein, N. P., and Giffin, M. E. (1959). “Psychogenic hypersomnia.” Amer. J. Psychiat., 115, 922928.Google Scholar
12. Illing, E. (1941). “Schlaftrunkenheitsdelikte bei Soldaten.” Dtsch. Militärarzt, 6, 618622.Google Scholar
13. Jochims, J. (1953). “Schlafsucht als Auftakt zur Menarche.” Arch. Kinderheilk, 147, 156158, quoted by Roth (22).Google Scholar
14. Kleine, W. (1925). “Periodische Schlafsucht.” Mschr. Psychiat. Neurol., 57, 284320, quoted by Critchley (3).Google Scholar
15. Kleitman, N. (1963). Sleep and Wakefulness. Chicago and London: Univ. of Chicago Press.Google Scholar
16. Levin, M. (1936). “Periodic somnolence and morbid hunger.” Brain, 59, 494503.Google Scholar
17. Langelüddeke, A. (1955). “Delikte in Schlafzuständen.” Nervenarzt, 26, 2830.Google Scholar
18. Lhermitte, J., and Dubois, E. (1941). “Crises d'hypersomnie prolongée rythmées par les règles chez une jeune fille.” Rev. neurol., 73, 608609.Google Scholar
19. Michaelis, R. (1964). “Depressive Verstimmung und Schlafsucht.” Arch. Psychiat. Nervenkr., 206, 345355.Google Scholar
20. Michaelis, R. (1965). “Zur Typologie der Hypersomnien.” Fortschr. Neur. Psychiat., 33, 587599.Google Scholar
21. Regli, F., and Haynal, A. (1965). “Zwei Fälle von ‘periodischer Somnolenz junger Leute’ (Kleine-Levin Syndrom).” Arch. Psychiat. Nervenkr., 206, 576583.Google Scholar
22. Roth, B. (1962). Narkolepsie und Hypersomnie. Berlin: VEB Verl. Volk und Gesundheit.Google Scholar
23. Schmidt, G. (1943). “Die Verbrechen in der Schlaftrunkenheit.” Z. Neur. Psychiat., 176, 208253.Google Scholar
Submit a response

eLetters

No eLetters have been published for this article.