How WatchPAT Detects REM
REM (rapid eye movement) sleep, one of the two basic states of sleep, is notable for the presence of rapid eye movement, active brain activity, dreaming, and the absence of motor function. REM sleep is associated with considerable attenuation of the PAT signal and physiology coupled with specific variations in the PAT amplitude and rate. Based on this specific variability in the PAT and pulse rate signals, WatchPAT easily differentiates REM from NREM sleep.
How WatchPAT Detects Sleep Architecture
The cyclical pattern of NREM and REM sleep is detected by WatchPAT and recorded on its built-in actigraph. The propriety software’s automatic actigraph algorithm discriminates between sleep and wake states in normal subjects and patients with sleep apnea. This algorithm makes WatchPAT superior to any other actigraph devices because most are unable to detect sleep architecture in patients with sleep apnea.WatchPAT’s zzzPAT algorithm is based on 14 features extracted from two time series of PAT amplitudes and inter-pulse periods (IPP). Those features are then further processed to yield a prediction function that determines the likelihood of detecting a deep sleep epoch stage during Non-REM sleep periods.
