Dancers in the 1990 Interfraternity/Panhellenic Council Dance Marathon endured more than the normal aggravations of pulling the standard all-nighter or two. Aggravations include hallucinations, dehydration and all the aches and pains that go along with standing up for 48 hours.

The activity, in addition to the sleep deprivation, increases the physical fatigue, said Frederick M. Brown, associate professor of psychology.

When fatigue becomes worse a person may feel very cold. This is due to a disruption of the circadian rhythm -- the body's daily cycle. At night the circadian rhythm is at its lowest point. Body temperature and blood pressure are at the lowest also, Brown said.

"Sleep deprivation challenges the circadian rhythm. The body is trying to sleep and the person is trying to stay awake," Brown said.

"The major effect of sleep deprivation is sleepiness which results in a decrease in performance. It's a stress on the body," he said. "It also causes temporary effects, such as hallucinations and a sense of unrealness."

Dr. John Mateer, neurologist, said usually with a prolonged period of sleep deprivation -- 48 to 72 hours -- hallucinatory episodes will happen in some people.

Hallucinations are probably due to drowsiness, he said. What you see, feel and hear may be altered by your lack of full awareness. It is a distortion of what is really seen, Mateer said.

Kevin Donlon, morale chairman of the Dance Marathon, said most people do go through low and high times. Though the morale team tries to help "there is very little you can do when somebody is going through one of the low times," he said.

"Usually when people hallucinate they will see two levels of the gym or mirrors. Mirrors are real big," he said. "When the morale team sees someone fixating, just standing and staring, we try giving them something to concentrate on like bouncing a ball."

Donlon said the worst time for morale is between 4 and 8 a.m. Sunday morning.

"When their friends and the kids have gone and the stands are empty the morale really falls," Donlon said. "We have 50 percent more morale people on the floor then."

Steve Pullen (senior-biochemistry) said he experienced the worst hours of his life early Sunday morning when both he and his partner began to feel drunk.

"It was funny at first, but then it got to the point where it wasn't funny anymore," Pullen said. "I couldn't make my body do what my mind wanted."

Eileen Pentel (junior-architectual engineering) also said she had hallucinated early Sunday morning.

"I thought I was in an architecture studio and that I had a lot of work to do," she said. "I didn't know where I was," she said.

Herbert said, "I kept telling her she didn't have to work just dance but then the morale officers came to help us."

Earlier in the marathon's history there were many incidents of dehydration and exhaustion, said Dr. Harry M. McDermott, director of University Health Services.

Ritenour has a first-aid team of Emergency Medical Technicians at the marathon. If intravenous treatment is needed they are transferred to Ritenour, he added.

Juice with electrolytes is used to replace the minerals participants lose through sweating, Donlon said.

Caffeinated drinks or any form of caffeine is not allowed, Donlon said, because it will cause dancers to crash when the effect wears off.

"If anyone is found with it they are disqualified," Donlon said. "The same with nicotine, because . . . we're fighting cancer . . . and it's a drug."

Mateer said caffeine increases cardiac and renal output but with increased usage the stimulant effect disappears, though the increased heart and renal output rates remain.

"It just adds stress to the system," he said.

At the end the dancers will feel fatigue and slight depression. They may also have a deep, dream filled sleep, Mateer said.

"By staying awake for 48 hours you rob yourself of about 10 episodes of REM sleep -- the period of sleep when dreams occur," Mateer said.

The person will then experience a rebound of REM and therefore many dreams. It may not occur right away but maybe the next night, he said.