Body movement in children with ADHD calculated using video images

In recent years, it has been observed that abnormal behavior in children, such as ADHD, is related to sleep disorders. Thus, it is important to monitor their sleep. A polysomnogram (PSG) is generally used for evaluating sleep patterns. However, PSG requires significant investment in terms of facilities personnel and several electrical contacts are attached to patients, and therefore, paediatric patients feel heavily constrained. To solve these problems, a method for evaluating sleep patterns in a non-restrictive and non-contact manner is desirable. In this study, we particularly focused on the body movements during sleep because body movements are most directly related to the sleep-wake cycle. We proposed a system for measuring body movements during sleep using difference image processing. In order to verify the validity of the proposed system, body movement data calculated by difference image processing were compared with the sleep stages measured by PSG and we used video monitoring to characterize the differences in body movement during sleep in normal children and those with ADHD.