A Case of Complex and Abnormal Behaviors at Night: The Role of the Epilepsy Monitoring Unit in Diagnosis

Abstract

Complex nocturnal behaviors associated with sleep have many potential causes, including parasomnias and epilepsy. Although the type of event and description can frequently lead to a diagnosis, sometimes it is challenging clinically to determine the cause of the behaviors, requiring a more in-depth investigation. We report the case of a 29-year-old woman with a long history of complex abnormal behaviors and visual hallucinations at night. An extensive clinical evaluation failed to reveal a definitive cause of these episodes, prompting a 3-day epilepsy monitoring unit admission. During the stay, several events were captured on video electroencephalography, leading to a conclusive final diagnosis. This case highlights the challenging task of finding a definitive diagnosis in cases of complex nocturnal behaviors and the potential role of an admission to an epilepsy monitoring unit to help diagnose the cause of these behaviors.