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Polygraphic Sleep Study in Craniopagus Twins (Where Is the Sleep Transmitter?)

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Polygraphic Sleep Study in Craniopagus Twins (Where Is the Sleep Transmitter?) Journal of Neurology, Neurosurgery, and Psychiatry, 1972, 35, 756-762 J Neurol Neurosurg Psychiatry: first published as 10.1136/jnnp.35.6.756 on 1 December 1972. Downloaded from Polygraphic sleep study in craniopagus twins (Where is the sleep transmitter?) H. G. LENARD AND F. J. SCHULTE From the Department ofPediatrics, University of Gottingen, Gottingen, West Germany SU MM AR Y By means of polygraphic recordings complete independence of the sequence of sleeping and waking and of the two sleep states (REM and NREM) could be demonstrated in twins exten- sively conjoined at the skulls. Functionally important connections in the circulation of the two babies were found during subsequent preoperative investigations. These observations are at variance with the hypothesis of an extraneuronal humoral sleep-inducing factor based on crossed-circulation experiments in animals; moreover they raise a new question about the transportation of the sleep- regulating biogenic amines. The union in craniopagus twins may be of any 4,200 g, one (twin 1) being slightly larger than theguest. Protected by copyright. extent from a small superficial connection of two other (twin 2). Twin 1 had, as additional malforma- defect. Twin 2 apparently complete individuals to a malforma- tions, club feet and an atrial septal showed club feet, a coloboma of the right upper eye- in the of a single head tion resulting impression lid, a flat broad nose with a medial sulcus, and an in- with two faces. Whether surgical separation is a completely developed os sphenoidale. The skull of possibility or not depends primarily on the twin 2 appeared microcephalic, irregularly deformed extent and intimacy of the union. Before the in its lateral portions, and telescoping with its necessary meticulous information on anatomical parieto-occipital parts into the right parietal portion details is obtained in preoperative diagnosis, the of the skull of twin 1. From the clinical aspect alone crucial question has to be answered whether the it was uncertain whether twin 2 would have a com- twins are two complete individuals with two plete brain (Fig. 1). separate brains or not. A lumbar pneumoencephalogram was performed We could quickly demonstrate two indepen- in twin 1 and 30 minutes later in twin 2. Twin 1 showed a cyst of the septum pellucidum and a de- dently functioning brains in twins extensively formation and enlargement of the right lateral conjoined at the skull by polygraphic registra- ventricle. In twin 2 the air collected in the sub- tion of their behaviour, especially of their sleep arachnoid space and did not enter the ventricular states and stages. system. No air passed from one infant into the Crossed circulation experiments in animals other. Protein values in the cerebrospinal fluid http://jnnp.bmj.com/ have led to the postulation of an extraneuronal (CSF) were very similar in both infants (111 and humoral sleep-inducing factor. Our results with 114 mg/l00 ml.). polygraphic and further diagnostic procedures Cerebral arteriograms, carried out from the aortic do not appear to be consistent with such a arch after catheterization of the femoral artery, hypothesis. showed in both infants a deformed but complete arterial system and an arterial connection with shunting from twin 1 into twin 2 (Fig. 2). No shunt CASE HISTORY could be demonstrated in the other direction (Fig. 3). on September 24, 2021 by A pair of female craniopagus twins was delivered by Small venous connections were found during sino- caesarian section, and transferred to our hospital at graphy in twin 1 (Fig. 4). the age of three days. It could not unequivocally be After injection of 4 ,tCi of 1251-hippuran into a established whether their gestational age was 36 or cubital vein of twin 1, 50%0 of the radioactive sub- 40 weeks. The combined weight of the twins was stance was found in the venous blood of twin 2 756 Polvgraphic sleep study in craniiopagus twins 757 J Neurol Neurosurg Psychiatry: first published as 10.1136/jnnp.35.6.756 on 1 December 1972. Downloaded from guest. Protected by copyright. FIG. 1. The smaller twin 2 is on the left. 14 minutes later. When anaesthesia was performed skulls despite all precautions because the babies for angiography in twin 1 with small amounts of NO2 could lie in one position only. These increasing diffi- and halothane, twin 2 reached the same stages of culties led to the attempt of a surgical separation, anaesthesia at the same time as twin 1. Renal excre- with the aim of saving twin 1. The twins were now tion was carried out exclusively by twin 1; twin 2 aged 21 days. The twins died of cardiac arrest during passed almost no urine and had a negative intra- the first stages of anaesthesia before the operation. venous pyelogram in spite of a morphologically normal urinary system at necropsy. The results from POLYGRAPHIC INVESTIGATIONS Polygraphic record- haematological and biochemical investigations of ings on the fourth and 11th day of life were carried the blood were, if not identical, always very similar in out with an 8-channel Offner type T dynograph. http://jnnp.bmj.com/ the two babies. Silver-silver chloride electrodes were fixed on the The twins underwent a short period of respiratory skulls with gauze strips dipped into collodion. The difficulties immediately after birth. They were lively electroencephalograph (EEG) was recorded bi- and fed well thereafter. From their behaviour and polarly from both twins from positions correspond- their reactions towards the environment they ap- ing roughly to F3-C3 and F4-C4. Horizontal eye peared to be completely different personalities. movements and respiration were recorded simul- During angiography on day 12 ventricular fibrilla- taneously from each twin. tion occurred in twin 1 which could be stopped by The EEG pattern, with a 'spiky' trace alternant on September 24, 2021 by electrical defibrillation. In the following days twin 1 during non-rapid eye movement (NREM) sleep, had recurrent spells of cardiorespiratory problems. corresponded to a gestational age of 36 weeks. In Probably because of the doubled task of renal twin 2 the EEG showed some abnormal high excretion, there was a continuous cardiac enlarge- amplitude sharp waves. Spindles, abnormal for the ment in twin 1. Decubital ulcers developed at the age, with a frequency of 16-18 Hz, were present in 758 H. G. Lenard and F. J. Schulte J Neurol Neurosurg Psychiatry: first published as 10.1136/jnnp.35.6.756 on 1 December 1972. Downloaded from FIG. 2. Cerebral angiography in twin 1. Arterial connections reaching into the brain of twin 2. guest. Protected by copyright. the EEG of both babies. Both babies had periodic presence of independent brains (Grossman, respiration for long periods and irregular respiration Sugar, Greeley, and Sadove, 1953; Franklin, prevailed even during NREM sleep. The eye move- Tomkinson, and Williams, 1958; O'Connell, ments appeared to be normal in number and dis- tribution. 1964; Wolfowitz, Kerr, Levin, Walker, and The sequence of the behavioural states and the Vetten, 1968). It may, however, not always be sleep cycles was normal for each twin. Longer rapid easy to ascertain the degree of independence of eye movement (REM) epochs (with low amplitude the brain waves of conjoined twins. In the awake continuous EEG and with rapid eye movements in state or during REM sleep the EEG over two the oculogram) alternated with shorter NREM hemispheres of one individual may appear as epochs (classified by the trace alternant pattern in the independent as that of normal identical twins. EEG and the absence of eye movements); wakeful- This independence becomes obvious during http://jnnp.bmj.com/ ness occurred mainly before feeding time. There was, NREM sleep when the bursts of the trace however, a complete independence of wakefulness alternant pattern occur asynchronously, and and sleep and of the two sleep states in the two more so when the two individuals are in different babies. One twin could be awake or even moving and crying, while the other one continued to stay in behavioural states during the recording. The either sleep state. Figures 5 to 7 give examples from latter case can be conveniently and accurately the original records. The course of the sleep states in demonstrated by means of a polygraphic the two polygrams is shown in Fig. 8. recording. Besides proving independence of on September 24, 2021 by cortical activity, this proves the presence of two DISCUSSION brains with complete neuronal systems for the In several reports on craniopagus twins inde- complex regulation of the sleep-waking cycles pendent EEG activity is listed as evidence for the and of the sleep stages. Polygraphic sleep study in craniopagus twins 759 J Neurol Neurosurg Psychiatry: first published as 10.1136/jnnp.35.6.756 on 1 December 1972. Downloaded from FIG. 3. Cerebral angiography in twin 2. A large parieto- occipital portion of her brain is lying in the posterior fossa of twin 1. No shunt- ing demonstrable. guest. Protected by copyright. Besides these diagnostic aspects, the results of 1968), together with Franklin et al. (1958) and our investigations have some theoretical implica- Wolfowitz et al. (1968), have observed in six tions concerning a possible humoral regulation pairs of craniopagus twins independence of of the sleep states and cycles. In crossed-circula- sleeping and waking in spite of extensive con- tion experiments in animals it was found that nections in the circulation of the babies. In two sleep, indicated by EEG synchronization, occur- of these cases even a continuity of brain sub- red also in the recipient animal after thalamic stance was found at operation. In ours, in addi- stimulation in the donor animal (Kornmiiller, tion to independence of sleep and wakefulness, Lux, Winkel, and Klee, 1961; Monnier, Koller, independent alternation between REM and and Graber, 1963; Monnier and Hosli, 1964 and NREM sleep could be shown in the presence of http://jnnp.bmj.com/ 1965; Monnier and Hatt, 1971).
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