Maintenance of Wakefulness Test (MWT)
The Maintenance of Wakefulness Test is used to evaluate a person’s ability to remain awake and alert during the day.
During the MWT “trial” a patient is asked to sit comfortably and quietly in a chair in a quiet, dimly lit, room. The patient is then instructed to remain awake as long as possible while remaining quiet and still. Each “trial” will last 40 minutes. These testing “trials” are conducted at two-hour intervals, usually beginning approximately two hours after awakening from a typical night of sleep. During the trials, the patient’s brain waves are recorded to determine how long the individual is able to stay awake, and if they fall asleep, how long it took them to fall asleep. Unlike the MSLT, the MWT does not always need to be preceded by an overnight sleep study. Typically, the MWT is completed by 4:00 pm.
How will having this test help me?
The Maintenance of Wakefulness Test can provide the physician with information useful in measuring the success of treatments utilized for sleep disorders that cause excessive daytime sleepiness. Individuals whose job duties include driving, operating dangerous equipment, or maintaining a certain level of alertness during their work hours, can use the results of the MWT to support the adequacy of treatment for their sleepiness disorder, or to document the absence of sleepiness, if treatment for a sleep disorder is declined.
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