🚀 go-pugleaf

Have you seen your physician?  Ask their opinion, it sounds like it could be a
form of epilepsy.There is such a thing called absence seizure, which is a
loss of consciousness during petit mal seizures.  A passage from
Principles of Neuroscience:

Petit mal seizures, which begin during childhood, are accompanied by a
transient loss of consciousness (absence seizure).  The EEG during petit mal
seizures shows a three-cycle-per second generalized spike-wave discharge.
Petit mal seizures interrupt perception, cognition, and memory, but such
functions return almost immediately when the seizure stops.  Muscle tone is
maintained so that patients rarely fall.

Again, you should go see your physician...probably a neurologist would be
useful.

- Joe

Sit Ubu sit!! (Good dog) (W9MK000@MUSICB.MCGILL.CA) wrote:
: Hi, I'm a student at McGill University in Montreal, Quebec.
:    I have always wondered whether I might have something wrong:
: Whenever I'm in class or tired,  I experience extremely brief
: periods of discontinuity.  Sort of like the teacher is talking about
: something and then suddenly is at the end of his sentence.  I
: always thought that it was probably because I was tired or I
: was daydreaming- however- I couldn't remember what I could have
: been daydreaming/thinking about.
:      I have always had this feeling as far as I can remember- but
: simply ascribed it to daydreaming.
:      I recently found out that a cousin of mine, a young girl,
: has a problem in which she experiences lapses, her eyes go blank
: and time stops for her during that time.  The only thing is that while
: hers last about half a second, mine probably last less.  She takes
: medication.
:      This happens less when I am hyper or alert.
: Anyone have any idea what it could be?  So far, no one has noticed it
: except for me.  Could it simply be daydreaming?  Is it natural?
: Maybe I'm not paying enough attention...

: If you can help, please email me at w9mk@musicb.mcgill.ca immediately.

: Thanks.

: Miguel Frias, 21 years old, Languages and Literature


: ------------------------------------------------------------------------
: Some people always seem to know the answer.  I'm willing to admit that I
: don't even know the question.

--
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Joseph T. Ho, MS I                                     jtho@u.washington.edu
School of Medicine                                  University of Washington
----------------------------------------------------------------------------

Sit Ubu sit!! (Good dog) wrote:
> 
> Hi, I'm a student at McGill University in Montreal, Quebec.
>    I have always wondered whether I might have something wrong:
> Whenever I'm in class or tired,  I experience extremely brief
> periods of discontinuity.  Sort of like the teacher is talking about
> something and then suddenly is at the end of his sentence.  I
> always thought that it was probably because I was tired or I
> was daydreaming- however- I couldn't remember what I could have
> been daydreaming/thinking about.
>      I have always had this feeling as far as I can remember- but
> simply ascribed it to daydreaming.
>      I recently found out that a cousin of mine, a young girl,
> has a problem in which she experiences lapses, her eyes go blank
> and time stops for her during that time.  The only thing is that while
> hers last about half a second, mine probably last less.  She takes
> medication.
>      This happens less when I am hyper or alert.
> Anyone have any idea what it could be?  So far, no one has noticed it
> except for me.  Could it simply be daydreaming?  Is it natural?
> Maybe I'm not paying enough attention...
> 
> If you can help, please email me at w9mk@musicb.mcgill.ca immediately.
> 
> Thanks.
> 
> Miguel Frias, 21 years old, Languages and Literature
> 
> ------------------------------------------------------------------------
> Some people always seem to know the answer.  I'm willing to admit that I
> don't even know the question.


Although you may very well have a problem with your sleep, I suggest
that you seek counsel with a physician as these "lapses" may have a
physical (neurological) foundation. There are siezure disorders that
manifest themselves with symptoms similar to yours.  Don't Panic!  Just
check it out...it may be nothing.

Bill Skinner

Sit Ubu sit!! (Good dog) wrote:
> 
> Hi, I'm a student at McGill University in Montreal, Quebec.
>    I have always wondered whether I might have something wrong:
> Whenever I'm in class or tired,  I experience extremely brief
> periods of discontinuity.  Sort of like the teacher is talking about
> something and then suddenly is at the end of his sentence.  I
> always thought that it was probably because I was tired or I
> was daydreaming- however- I couldn't remember what I could have
> been daydreaming/thinking about.
>      I have always had this feeling as far as I can remember- but
> simply ascribed it to daydreaming.

[minor snipping to save bandwidth]

Hi.  I'm not a physician, nor do I play one on TV/the 'Net.  However, as
a medical writer, I've read a number of articles on sleep disorders and
have a good familiarity with this area.  Like others, I hope persons
with more expertise will reply, but I offer you the following advice in
the hope it'll be helpful.

You might try a neurologist with expertise in sleep disorders.  He/she
may suggest a night in a sleep center, where you could be evaluated for
conditions like narcolepsy.  Your problem may not be sleep related, but
if it's still undiagnosed after a few tries, you might want to explore
this possibility.  Only relatively recently have sleep disorders been
viewed as medical (as opposed to psychological) conditions, and today's
medical training is only beginning to adapt to this.  (This is not a
"jab" at medical schools, just an opinion verified to me by many
neurologists, psychiatrists, GPs, surgeons, other physicians, and
medical school personnel I've encountered in my professional career.)

It sounds like you're experiencing "microsleeps" if you're only missing
a few words in your teacher's sentence.  This may be an attention
problem.  Can you be sure you're not missing entire sentences and then
"coming back" at the end of a much later sentence?  In other words, have
you verified you're not out for periods longer than "less than a
second," possibly by asking a classmate?  A psychiatrist or neurologist
will probably ask this in addition to asking many other questions about:
your nighttime sleep; the regularity of your sleep schedule; does diet
have any effect, etc...

I was going to go into detail about the symptoms of narcolepsy here, but
it may not be appropriate.  Still, if nothing else seems to be
appropriate, a referral to a neurologist with some experience in sleep
disorders might be helpful.

Please recall Mark Twain's quote: "If all you have is a hammer, all your
problems start to look like nails" (I probably didn't get it verbatim). 
Your problem could be any number of explanations.  This is just my
suggestion, one that may not be at the top of the list, but I hope it's
somehow helpful to you.

Best of luck.  (Nice e-mail alias, Ubu!)

-Mike Stillman

__________________________________________________
Michael J. Stillman, Ph.D.
DendWrite Communications
33 Dinsmore Avenue, Suite 602
Framingham, MA  01702
Tel/Fax: 508.875.7782
http://www.dendwrite.com/users/stillent

On 08 DEC 96 00:34:53 EST, perhaps from inspiration because of the
gravitational field of the moon, "Sit Ubu sit!! (Good dog)"
<W9MK000@MUSICB.MCGILL.CA>, wrote:

>Hi, I'm a student at McGill University in Montreal, Quebec.
>   I have always wondered whether I might have something wrong:
>Whenever I'm in class or tired,  I experience extremely brief
>periods of discontinuity.  Sort of like the teacher is talking about
>something and then suddenly is at the end of his sentence.  I
>always thought that it was probably because I was tired or I
>was daydreaming- however- I couldn't remember what I could have
>been daydreaming/thinking about.
>     I have always had this feeling as far as I can remember- but
>simply ascribed it to daydreaming.
>     I recently found out that a cousin of mine, a young girl,
>has a problem in which she experiences lapses, her eyes go blank
>and time stops for her during that time.  The only thing is that while
>hers last about half a second, mine probably last less.  She takes
>medication.
>     This happens less when I am hyper or alert.
>Anyone have any idea what it could be?  So far, no one has noticed it
>except for me.  Could it simply be daydreaming?  Is it natural?
>Maybe I'm not paying enough attention...
>
>If you can help, please email me at w9mk@musicb.mcgill.ca immediately.
>
>Thanks.
>
>Miguel Frias, 21 years old, Languages and Literature
>
>
>------------------------------------------------------------------------
>Some people always seem to know the answer.  I'm willing to admit that I
>don't even know the question.

Dear Miguel:

It is interesting that you have posted this message in
alt.sleep.disorder!  But it could very well be a sleep disorder.

If you have a sleep disorder, such as sleep apnea or narcolepsy, then
many strange things can happen.  Under sleep deprivation, you will
actually sleep while you are awake.  You can phase into, say, REM
sleep for microseconds at a time, and phase back out, virtually
without your awareness.  Perhaps the best way to determine a sleep
disorder is if you feel tired and sleepy MOST OF THE TIME.  If your
problems are isolated only to a distinct moment here or there, then
you have probably gotten enough sleep.

You may have some low-level epileptic or otherwise seizure also.  What
you may want to do is see a sleep specialist who is a neurologist
(they are typically either pulmonologists or neurologists).

good luck


~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
While yearning in nostalgic dream
to touch the rose aglow,
I knew a part of me was lost
to where no roses grow.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Doug Ruth..........druth@mail.kdcol.com

"Sit Ubu sit!! (Good dog)" <W9MK000@MUSICB.MCGILL.CA> wrote:
>Hi, I'm a student at McGill University in Montreal, Quebec.
>   I have always wondered whether I might have something wrong:
>Whenever I'm in class or tired,  I experience extremely brief
>periods of discontinuity.  Sort of like the teacher is talking about
>something and then suddenly is at the end of his sentence.  I
>always thought that it was probably because I was tired or I
>was daydreaming- however- I couldn't remember what I could have
>been daydreaming/thinking about.
>     I have always had this feeling as far as I can remember- but
>simply ascribed it to daydreaming.
>     I recently found out that a cousin of mine, a young girl,
>has a problem in which she experiences lapses, her eyes go blank
>and time stops for her during that time.  The only thing is that while
>hers last about half a second, mine probably last less.  She takes
>medication.
>     This happens less when I am hyper or alert.
>Anyone have any idea what it could be?  So far, no one has noticed it
>except for me.  Could it simply be daydreaming?  Is it natural?
>Maybe I'm not paying enough attention...
>

This sounds very much like a petit mal ( "little" ) seizure. Do you, like 
your cousin, have momentary staring when this happens? Are you 
unresponsive if someone talks to you?
If you have not described this to your doctor, please do so right away. 
You need to be tested by a neurologist, who will prescribe medication if 
this is seizure activity. This is particularly important if you drive 
because those momentary lapses can be very dangerous when you are behind 
the wheel! BTW, if these are seizures, they are completely out  of your 
control. It isn't that you aren't paying attention - your brain is doing 
this to you without your knowledge or consent. Medication should stop it.
Please check this out immediately!     Susan