I have exploding head syndrome (especially nocturnal experience)
It’s strange, unpleasant and surprisingly common. Helen Thomson talks to a man whose head regularly ‘explodes’, and discovers how the condition might explain some unexpected experiences. “There’s this sudden crescendo of noise, then a profound and jarring explosion of sound, electrical fizzing and a bright flash in my vision, like someone has lit a spotlight in front of my face.”
Others describe it as like a bomb going off next to their head as they fall asleep. Sometimes it occurs just once in a lifetime, for others it happens multiple times a night.
The physician Silas Weir Mitchell first described the disorder in 1876, when he described two men who suffered from what he called “sensory discharges” – the men themselves described it as hearing “loud bells” or a “gunshot” that would wake them from sleep. But despite its provocative and intriguing name, there has been relatively little research into the disorder.
There's now a theory, however, that the condition and related sleep disturbances may help explain apparently unrelated cultural phenomena, specifically the origins of alien abductions, government conspiracy theories 👽 😂 🤦🏻♀️, and supernatural demons.
it may not be as rare as you might think. In a study published last month, 211 students were asked whether they had ever experienced the condition – 18% said yes.
However, this sample is probably not reflective of its true prevalence since students are prone to lack of sleep – a factor known to increase the risk of experiencing the phenomenon.
“If you have any sort of sleep disruption like insomnia or jetlag, then you might be more likely to experience the condition,”
Theories about the cause of an exploding head are speculative, says Sharpless. Several ideas have been proposed, including ear disorders and partial epileptic seizures (국소간질발작). But the most compelling theory comes from a handful of studies in which people with the condition have had their brain activity monitored overnight. These small studies suggest that there may be a burst of neural activity in the brain that coincides with the reported explosion.
Normally, when we go to sleep our body shuts down and becomes paralysed so that we don’t act out our dreams. During this transition from wake to sleep, the brain usually turns off bit by bit.
However, in exploding head syndrome, there is a hiccup in the 'reticular formation [A1]' – the part of the brain responsible for overseeing this general shut-down – which results in a delay in switching off some areas.
[A1] reticular formation 망상체 link
간뇌, 중뇌, 연수의 안쪽에 있는 그물눈 모양의 신경섬유와 다수의 신경세포로 된 조직으로서 뇌간 망양체라 불리며 의식활동과 관계가 깊다. 원래 의식은 감각성 임펄스(impulse)에 의해 유지된다고 생각되어 왔었다. 그러나 뇌간 외측에서 감각 신경로를 절단해도 혼수상태에 빠지지 않지만 감각 신경로가 아닌 망양체를 파괴하면 혼수 상태에 빠지며 뇌파도 깊은 수면 상태를 보인다. 이런 현상을 근거로 매구운(Magoun)은 망양체에는 피질의 흥분 수준을 높이는 기능이 있다고 생각, 이것을 뇌간부활계라 불렀으며,감각신경로를 상행하는 감각 임펄스 그 자체가 대뇌피질의 활동을 일으키는 것이 아니고 망양체에서 대뇌피질로 들어간 신경로가 의식의 수준을 만들어 주며, 망양체의 활동은 감각신경에서 나오는 측지로부터의 감각 임펄스에 의하여 구동되고 있다고 했다. 그러나 의식수준의 유지는 뇌간부활계에 의해서만 이루어지는 것은 아니며, 시상하부에도 부활계가 있어 이것이 대뇌피질 전체의 활동수준을 규제하고 있고, 뇌간부활계는 여기에 부활 활동을 가중시킨다는 설도 있다.
This delay is associated with a suppression of alpha brainwaves [A2] that are normally responsible for drowsiness, and a sudden burst of neural activity in the areas of the brain responsible for processing sound. “We think the neurons are all firing at once,” he says, which results in the sensation of an explosion in your head.
[A2] alpha brainwave / 중년여성의 스트레스 수준을 반영하는 지표로써 Alpha 고유리듬과 뇌파 지표와의 관계 / link
이 연구는 중년여성의 스트레스 수준을 반영하는 지표로써 뇌파의 Alpha 고유리듬 출현 정도가 좌·우뇌 비대칭, 육체적ㆍ정신적 스트레스, 주의력 등의 뇌파 지표들과 주관적 평가척도인 스트레스량(BEPSI-K) 간에 어떠한 차이와 관련성이 있는지 알아보고자 하였다. 이를 위하여 평균 나이 57세의 중년 여성 50명을 대상으로 전두엽 2채널 뇌파 측정장치를 이용하여 폐안시 뇌파를 측정하였다. 의미있는 분석 결과는 다음과 같다. 첫 번째, Alpha 고유리듬 진폭이 낮은 집단이 높은 집단에 비해서 좌·우뇌 비대칭 차이가 크고, 스트레스량이 높게 나타났다. 두 번째, Alpha 고유리듬 진폭이 높은 집단은 낮은 집단에 비해 육체적·정신적 스트레스 저항도가 높고, 각성상태는 낮게 나타났다. 세 번째, Alpha 고유리듬 진폭은 육체적·정신적 항스트레스 지표와 정적 상관관계를 보였다. 네 번째, BEPSI-K는 뇌파 지표인 Alpha AMP, Alpha R-L, Alpha/Delta, Alpha/H-Beta와 부적 상관관계를 보였다. 이상과 같이 정량화뇌파의 Alpha 고유리듬 진폭의 출현 비중과 뇌파 지표는 중년여성의 스트레스 및 뇌건강 상태를 반영하는 객관적 지표로 활용 가능성이 있으며, 스트레스관련 주관적 평가척도를 보완하거나 대체하여 활용할 수 있는 가능성을 보여주었다.
“This theory makes sense to me,” says Nielsen. “It has always felt electrical in its nature. The sensation of an explosion is accompanied with a very loud sound in both my ears, as if you’ve crossed two wires in a circuit and zapped them together.”
Sharpless says some people also feel an aura of electrical sensations that moves from the lower torso to the head, immediately before the explosion strikes. “It feels like an electric shock,” says Nielsen. “You can feel the current passing through you.”
While there is no cure-all treatment, antidepressants reduce occurrence, as do relaxation and stress-busting techniques. “You can help a lot just by reassuring a person that they’re not crazy or experiencing symptoms of a tumour or some other brain disorder,” says Sharpless.
Nielsen, who is now a psychiatrist, says he has had episodes of exploding head syndrome every few months since he was 10 years old, and has experienced sleep paralysis twice – but his scientific mind helped prevent any anxiety over them.
Exploding Head Syndrome
Exploding head syndrome is a rare parasomnia [B1] in which affected persons awaken from sleep with the sensation of a loud noise. A parasomnia involves undesired events that come along with sleep.
parasomnia B1 사건수면 : 수면장애 가운데 하나. 수면중 일어나는 정상적이지 않은 행동이나 몸의 증상
Exploding head syndrome episodes can cause a high level of distress. A flash of light may come along with the sound. A muscle twitch or jerk may also occur. The event is normally painless.
The number of attacks varies. They can happen very rarely. They can also occur many times in one night. Having many episodes can greatly disturb your sleep. Some people report having a cluster of attacks over several nights. Then a few weeks or months will pass before it occurs again.
The cause of exploding head syndrome is not known. It may occur more often when you are very tired or under stress. In many people, the episodes occur less often over a period of years. Exploding head syndrome can be confused with headache syndromes. But unlike headaches, exploding head is normally a painless event without lingering pain.
It is not known how many people have exploding head syndrome. It may be more common in women than in men. It can begin at all ages. It has even been reported as early as less than 10 years of age. The average age when it first appears is 58 years.
You should see a sleep doctor if these awakenings cause you great anxiety or often disrupts your sleep.
polysomnography 수면 다원 검사
If you notice exploding head syndrome symptoms while you are sleep deprived, getting more sleep every night can help alleviate the frequency of the events. Most people need 7 or more hours of sleep per night, although individual needs vary.
If stress triggers exploding head symptoms, you should consider using relaxation techniques to reduce stress. Stress relief could include short walks, reading before bed, yoga, or whatever works for you. Alcohol is a poor form of stress relief and causes sleep disruptions 🤭.
There is some evidence that the medicine clomipramine [B2] may help in treating exploding head syndrome symptoms. You can talk with your medical provider or sleep doctor about using this medication to treat exploding head syndrome.
[B2] Clomipramine 신경절에서 세로토닌과 노르에피네프린의 재섭취를 억제하여 항불안 및 항우울 작용을 나타내는 삼환계 항우울약.
Brain Zaps: Are They Serious and Why Do They Happen?
A couple of years ago, I was slowly walking with a too-full cup of tea back to my desk. So far, so Monday morning. Suddenly, though, what felt like an electrified jolt lit up my mind, startling me beyond belief and causing me to slop hot liquid onto the office carpet.
The sensation felt like old, rusty pennies smell, metallic and sharp. As rapidly as it seized my brain, it was gone. I blinked away the tiny white lights blooming in my vision, the moment reminiscent of the head-fizzing dizziness caused by standing up too fast, and went back to my desk dazed and scared. What the hell had just happened?
Naturally, my thoughts flew fast to dark places, not aided by the results that came up after a quick search of Dr Google (brain seizure symptoms; early signs of brain tumour). But I kept digging and eventually came across the term 'brain zaps'. Only then did I start to connect the dots.
Also referred to as 'brain shivers', frustratingly little is known about the phenomenon beyond that they're often triggered when antidepressant treatment is discontinued.
They’re sometimes also experienced as a symptom of anxiety disorders and some people report dealing with them after taking large amounts of the illegal party drug MDMA 🙄 (ecstasy.)
Although brain zaps can be very alarming to patients they are not dangerous and are usually short-lived,
Anyone suffering from this condition should be reviewed by their psychiatrist or GP, to rule out any other causes.
Luckily, as far as neuroscientists know, brain zaps aren’t anything to worry about in and of themselves. They usually become more infrequent over time. 💆🏻♀️💆🏻♀️💆🏻♀️
Your receptors, the thinking is, become used to this uptick in serotonin. When you come off the medication, your body will try to re-adjust, but there's a period of time while this takes place. This could be the phase in which brain zaps occur.
Brain Zaps: A glimpse into the jolting brain phenomena
Brain zaps: Everything you need to know
Brain zaps are electrical shock sensations in the brain. They can happen in a person who is decreasing or stopping their use of certain medications, particularly antidepressants.
Brain zaps are not harmful and will not damage the brain. However, they can be bothersome, disorienting, and disruptive to sleep.
How the brain zaps feel?
In a study that surveyed people who were experiencing brain zaps, people described them as:
- a brief, electrical shock-like feeling in the brain
- a short period of blacking out or losing consciousness
- dizziness or vertigo
- a zap paired with a buzzing sound
- “hearing their eyes move”
- feeling disoriented (a “brain blink”)
Electric shock at brain side to ear was occurred when i was playing at childhood. It occurs occasionally for a sec. At the time I felt hot blood passed from top of head to side ear. What kind of problem. Is that.???
-> Sudden shock like sensation shows inner ear miliaeu getting disturbed. link
