Citation

Cramer Bornemann MA, Schenck CH, Mahowald MW. Chest 2019; 155(5): 1059-1066.

Affiliation

Department of Neurology, University of MN Medical School (retired).

Copyright

(Copyright © 2019, American College of Chest Physicians)

DOI

10.1016/j.chest.2018.11.010

PMID

30472024

Abstract

This review of Sleep-Related Violence reports the nature of the underlying sleep-suspected conditions encountered and helps establish the spectrum of sleep-related behaviors resulting in forensic consequences. This information may begin to bridge the gap between the differing medical and legal concepts of automatisms (complex motor behaviors occurring in the absence of conscious awareness and therefore without culpability). Increasingly, sleep medicine professionals are asked by legal professionals whether a sleep-related condition could possibly have played a role in a forensic-related event. Inasmuch as sleep medicine is a relatively young field, there is scant information to address these questions. The three most prevalent criminal allegations of the 351 consecutive possible sleep forensic-related referrals to a single sleep medicine center over the past 11 years were sexual assault, homicide/manslaughter or attempted murder, and Driving Under the Influence (DUI). The overwhelming possible sleep disorder implicated was sexsomnia, accounting for 41%, or 145 out 351 cases. Of the 351 referrals 111 were accepted following thorough case review. In general cases not accepted were declined on the basis of little or no merit or contamination by alcohol intoxication. Of those cases accepted, the proposed initial claim that a sleep phenomenon was operant was supported in approximately 50% - mostly (Non-Rapid Eye Movement) NREM disorders of arousal. No cases were felt to be due to (Rapid Eye Movement Sleep Behavior Disorder) RBD.

Copyright © 2018. Published by Elsevier Inc.

Language: en