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ABSTRACT: Decreased melatonin production, due to acute suppression of pineal melatonin secretion by light exposure during night work, has been suggested to underlie higher cancer risks associated with prolonged experience of night work. However, the association between light exposure and melatonin production has never been measured in the field. In this study, 24-h melatonin production and ambulatory light exposure were assessed during both night-shift and day/evening-shift periods in 13 full-time rotating shiftworkers. Melatonin production was estimated with the excretion of urinary 6-sulfatoxymelatonin (aMT6s), and light exposure was measured with an ambulatory photometer. There was no difference in total 24-h aMT6s excretion between the two work periods. The night-shift period was characterized by a desynchrony between melatonin and sleep-wake rhythms, as shown by higher melatonin production during work and lower melatonin production during sleep when working night shifts than when working day/evening shifts. Light exposure during night work showed no correlation with aMT6s excreted during the night of work (p > .5), or with the difference in 24-h aMT6s excretion between the two work periods (p > .1). However, light exposure during night work was negatively correlated with total 24-h aMT6s excretion over the entire night-shift period (p < .01). In conclusion, there was no evidence of direct melatonin suppression during night work in this population. However, higher levels of light exposure during night work may have decreased total melatonin production, possibly by initiating re-entrainment and causing internal desynchrony. This interpretation is consistent with the proposition that circadian disruption, of which decreased melatonin production is only one of the adverse consequences, could be the mediator between night shiftwork and cancer risks.
Chronobiology International 03/2012; 29(2):203-10. · 4.03 Impact Factor
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ABSTRACT: In most situations, complete circadian adjustment is not recommended for night workers. With complete adjustment, workers experience circadian misalignment when returning on a day-active schedule, causing repeated circadian phase shifts and internal desynchrony. For this reason, partial circadian realignment was proposed as a good compromise to stabilize internal circadian rhythms in night shift workers. However, the extent of partial circadian adjustment necessary to improve sleep and vigilance quality is still a matter of debate. In this study, the effects of small but statistically significant partial circadian adjustments on sleep and vigilance quality were assessed in a laboratory simulation of night work to determine whether they were also of clinical significance. Partial adjustments obtained by phase delay or by phase advance were quantified not only by the phase shift of dim light salivary melatonin onset, but also by the overlap of the episode of melatonin production with the sleep-wake cycle adopted during simulated night work. The effects on daytime sleep and night-time vigilance quality were modest. However, they suggest that even small adjustments by phase delay may decrease the accumulation of sleep debt, whereas the advance strategy improves subjective alertness and mood during night work. Furthermore, absolute phase shifts, by advance or by delay, were associated with improved subjective alertness and mood during the night shift. These strategies need to be tested in the field, to determine whether they can be adapted to real-life situations and provide effective support to night workers.
Journal of Sleep Research 02/2012; 21(4):380-9. · 3.16 Impact Factor
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ABSTRACT: Slow waves (SW; < 4 Hz and > 75 μV) during non-rapid eye movement (NREM) sleep in humans are characterized by hyperpolarization [surface electroencephalogram (EEG) SW negative phase], during which cortical neurons are silent, and depolarization (surface EEG positive phase), during which the cortical neurons fire intensively. We assessed the effects of age, sex and topography on the dynamics of SW characteristics in a large population (n=87) of healthy young (23.3 ± 2.4 years) and middle-aged (51.9 ± 4.6 years) volunteers. Older subjects showed lower SW density and amplitude than young subjects. Age-related lower SW density in men was especially marked in prefrontal/frontal brain areas, where they originate more frequently. Older subjects also showed longer SW positive and negative phase durations. These last results indicate that, in young subjects, cortical neurons would synchronously enter the SW hyperpolarization and depolarization phases, whereas this process would take longer in older subjects, leading to lower slope and longer SW positive and negative phases. Importantly, after controlling for SW amplitude, middle-aged subjects still showed lower slope than young subjects in prefrontal, frontal, parietal and occipital derivations. Age-related effects on SW density, frequency and positive phase duration were more prominent at the beginning of the night, when homeostatic sleep pressure is at its highest. Age-related SW changes may be associated with changes in synaptic density and white matter integrity and may underlie greater sleep fragmentation and difficulty in recuperating and maintaining sleep under challenges in older subjects.
European Journal of Neuroscience 02/2011; 33(4):758-66. · 3.63 Impact Factor
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ABSTRACT: Brain recovery after prolonged wakefulness is characterized by increased density, amplitude and slope of slow waves (SW, <4 Hz) during non-rapid eye movement (NREM) sleep. These SW comprise a negative phase, during which cortical neurons are mostly silent, and a positive phase, in which most neurons fire intensively. Previous work showed, using EEG spectral analysis as an index of cortical synchrony, that Morning-types (M-types) present faster dynamics of sleep pressure than Evening-types (E-types). We thus hypothesized that single SW properties will also show larger changes in M-types than in E-types in response to increased sleep pressure. SW density (number per minute) and characteristics (amplitude, slope between negative and positive peaks, frequency and duration of negative and positive phases) were compared between chronotypes for a baseline sleep episode (BL) and for recovery sleep (REC) after two nights of sleep fragmentation. While SW density did not differ between chronotypes, M-types showed higher SW amplitude and steeper slope than E-types, especially during REC. SW properties were also averaged for 3 NREM sleep periods selected for their decreasing level of sleep pressure (first cycle of REC [REC1], first cycle of BL [BL1] and fourth cycle of BL [BL4]). Slope was significantly steeper in M-types than in E-types in REC1 and BL1. SW frequency was consistently higher and duration of positive and negative phases constantly shorter in M-types than in E-types. Our data reveal that specific properties of cortical synchrony during sleep differ between M-types and E-types, although chronotypes show a similar capacity to generate SW. These differences may involve 1) stable trait characteristics independent of sleep pressure (i.e., frequency and durations) likely linked to the length of silent and burst-firing phases of individual neurons, and 2) specific responses to increased sleep pressure (i.e., slope and amplitude) expected to depend on the synchrony between neurons.
PLoS ONE 01/2011; 6(8):e22679. · 4.09 Impact Factor
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ABSTRACT: The presence of either excessive tonic chin EMG activity during REM sleep, or excessive phasic submental or limb EMG twitching is required to diagnose REM sleep behavior disorder (RBD). The aim was to identify cut-off values and to assess the sensitivity and specificity of these values taken separately or combined to diagnose idiopathic RBD patients. Eighty patients presenting with a clinical diagnosis of idiopathic RBD and 80 age- and gender-matched normal controls were studied in the sleep laboratory. Receiver operating characteristic curves were drawn to find optimal cut-off values for three REM sleep EMG parameters. Tonic and phasic EMG activity were measured in the chin, but not in the limbs. Videos were examined during the recording but were not systematically reviewed by the authors. Total correct classification of 81.9% was found for tonic chin EMG density ≥30%; 83.8% for phasic chin EMG density ≥15% and 75.6% for ≥24 leg movements per hour of REM sleep. Five patients did not fulfill any of these three polysomnographic (PSG) criteria. Conversely, one subject of the control group met the PSG criteria for RBD. This study estimates the diagnostic value of a visual scoring method for the diagnosis of idiopathic RBD and establishes cut-off values to be used in clinical and research set-ups. For the five RBD patients who did not show chin EMG abnormalities, it cannot be excluded that they had increased phasic EMG activity in the upper limbs and presented visible motor activity.
Movement Disorders 10/2010; 25(13):2044-51. · 4.51 Impact Factor
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ABSTRACT: Decline in slow-wave activity (SWA) across the night is believed to reflect dissipation of the homeostatic sleep drive. This study evaluated the effects of age, sex and topography on SWA dissipation. The sleep electroencephalogram of 48 young [22 women, 26 men; mean = 23.3 years; standard deviation (SD) = 2.4] and 39 middle-aged (21 women, 18 men; mean = 51.9 years; SD = 4.6) healthy volunteers was analysed. Spectral analysis (0.5-22.0 Hz) was performed per non-rapid eye movement period for Fp1, F3, C3, P3 and O1. SWA (1.0-5.0 Hz) dissipation was modelled using linear and exponential decay functions applied to each age and sex subgroup data set for each derivation. The relative adequacy of both functions was compared using Akaike's information criterion. Results suggest that the exponential model provides a better data fit than the linear fit independently of age, gender and brain location. In women, age reduced the span (distance between the y intercept and the asymptote) of SWA decay in Fp1, F3, P3 and O1. In men, however, the effect of age on the span of SWA decay was limited to Fp1 and F3. In all age and sex subgroups, anterior regions showed a higher span than posterior regions. The asymptote was lower in anterior regions in young but not in middle-aged subjects. These results suggest that the homeostatic process operates on a larger scale in anterior regions. Importantly, ageing reduced the scale of homeostatic dissipation in both sexes, but this effect was more widespread across the brain in women.
Journal of Sleep Research 09/2010; 19(3):455-65. · 3.16 Impact Factor
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ABSTRACT: Circadian misalignment between the endogenous circadian signal and the imposed rest-activity cycle is one of the main sources of sleep and health troubles in night shift workers. Timed bright light exposure during night work can reduce circadian misalignment in night workers, but this approach is limited by difficulties in incorporating bright light treatment into most workplaces. Controlled light and dark exposure during the daytime also has a significant impact on circadian phase and could be easier to implement in real-life situations. The authors previously described distinctive light exposure patterns in night nurses with and without circadian adaptation. In the present study, the main features of these patterns were used to design daytime light exposure profiles. Profiles were then tested in a laboratory simulation of night work to evaluate their efficacy in reducing circadian misalignment in night workers. The simulation included 2 day shifts followed by 4 consecutive night shifts (2400-0800 h). Healthy subjects (15 men and 23 women; 20-35 years old) were divided into 3 groups to test 3 daytime light exposure profiles designed to produce respectively a phase delay (delay group, n=12), a phase advance (advance group, n=13), or an unchanged circadian phase (stable group, n=13). In all 3 groups, light intensity was set at 50 lux during the nights of simulated night work. Salivary dim light melatonin onset (DLMO) showed a significant phase advance of 2.3 h (+/-1.3 h) in the advance group and a significant phase delay of 4.1 h (+/-1.3 h) in the delay group. The stable group showed a smaller but significant phase delay of 1.7 h (+/-1.6 h). Urinary 6-sulfatoxymelatonin (aMT6s) acrophases were highly correlated to salivary DLMOs. Urinary aMT6s acrophases were used to track daily phase shifts. They showed that phase shifts occurred rapidly and differed between the 3 groups by the 3rd night of simulated night work. These results show that significant phase shifts can be achieved in night workers by controlling daytime light exposure, with no nighttime intervention.
Journal of Biological Rhythms 10/2009; 24(5):427-37. · 2.93 Impact Factor
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ABSTRACT: Caffeine is the most widely used stimulant to counteract the effects of sleepiness, but it also produces important detrimental effects on subsequent sleep, especially when sleep is initiated at a time when the biological clock sends a strong waking signal such as during daytime. This study compares the effects of caffeine on daytime recovery sleep in young (20-30 y.) and middle-aged subjects (45-60 y.).
Subjects participated in both caffeine (200mg) and placebo conditions (double-blind cross-over design), spaced one month apart. For each condition, subjects initially came to the laboratory for a nocturnal sleep episode. Daytime recovery sleep started in the morning after 25h of wakefulness. Subjects were administered either one caffeine (100mg) or placebo capsule three hours before daytime recovery sleep and the remaining dose one hour before daytime recovery sleep.
Middle-aged subjects showed greater decrements of sleep duration and sleep efficiency than young subjects during daytime recovery under placebo compared to nocturnal sleep. Caffeine decreased sleep efficiency, sleep duration, slow-wave sleep (SWS) and REM sleep during daytime recovery sleep similarly in both age groups. Caffeine also reduced N-REM sleep EEG synchronization during daytime recovery sleep (reduced delta, theta, and alpha power, and greater beta power).
The combined influence of age and caffeine made the sleep of middle-aged subjects particularly vulnerable to the circadian waking signal. We propose that lower brain synchronization due to age and caffeine produces greater difficulty in overriding the circadian waking signal during daytime sleep and leads to fragmented sleep. These results have implications for the high proportion of the population using caffeine to cope with night work and jet lag, particularly the middle-aged.
Sleep Medicine 04/2009; 10(9):1016-24. · 3.40 Impact Factor
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ABSTRACT: There is growing evidence that genetic factors are involved in the occurrence of sleep terrors. Twin studies provide invaluable information regarding genetic and environmental factors that can affect the manifestation of the disease; however, most previous twin studies on sleep terrors were performed retrospectively or with a sample that was too small to yield conclusive results. The aim of this large prospective study was to clarify the genetic and environmental contributions to sleep terrors in childhood.
In all, 390 pairs of monozygotic and dizygotic twins were recruited at birth for a longitudinal study. The prevalence and frequency of sleep terrors were assessed at 18 and 30 months of age with a questionnaire administered to the biological mother of the twins. Zygosity was determined by a questionnaire and genotyping. The prevalence and polychoric correlation for each type of twins were calculated. Structural-equation modeling was used to determine the proportion of variance attributable to additive genetic, shared, and nonshared environmental factors.
The prevalence of sleep terrors was 36.9% at 18 months and 19.7% at 30 months; 49% of affected children were boys, and 51% were girls. At 18 months, the polychoric correlations were 0.63 for monozygotic and 0.36 for the dizygotic twins. These were 0.68 (monozygotic) and 0.24 (dizygotic) at 30 months. Our model-fitting analysis showed that sleep terrors were explained by a 2-component model at 18 months (43.7% additive genetic effects and 56.3% nonshared environment) and at 30 months (41.5% additive genetic effects and 58.5% nonshared environment).
These results strongly support the heritability of sleep terrors. There also seems to be continuity in genetic effects with the persistence of sleep-terror symptoms.
PEDIATRICS 01/2009; 122(6):e1164-7. · 4.47 Impact Factor
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ABSTRACT: To evaluate the ability of actigraphy compared to polysomnography (PSG) to detect wakefulness in subjects submitted to 3 sleep conditions with different amounts of wakefulness: a nocturnal sleep episode and 2 daytime recovery sleep episodes, one with placebo and one with caffeine. A second objective was to compare the ability of 4 different scoring algorithms (2 threshold algorithms and 2 regression analysis algorithms) to detect wake in the 3 sleep conditions.
Three nights of simultaneous actigraphy (Actiwatch-L, Mini-Mitter/Respironics) and PSG recordings in a within-subject design.
Chronobiology laboratory.
Fifteen healthy subjects aged between 20 and 60 years (7M, 8F).
200 mg of caffeine and daytime recovery sleep.
An epoch-by-epoch comparison between actigraphy and PSG showed a significant decrease in actigraphy accuracy with increased wakefulness in sleep conditions due to the low sleep specificity of actigraphy (generally <50%). Actigraphy overestimated total sleep time and sleep efficiency more strongly in conditions involving more wakefulness. Compared to the 2 regression algorithms, the 2 threshold algorithms were less able to detect wake when the sleep episode involved more wakefulness, and they tended to alternate more between wake and sleep in the scoring of long periods of wakefulness resulting in an overestimation of the number of awakenings.
The very low ability of actigraphy to detect wakefulness casts doubt on its validity to measure sleep quality in clinical populations with fragmented sleep or in situations where the sleep-wake cycle is challenged, such as jet lag and shift work.
Sleep 10/2007; 30(10):1362-9. · 5.05 Impact Factor
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ABSTRACT: Caffeine is often used to counteract sleepiness generated by sleep deprivation, jet lag, and shift-work, and is consumed at different times of day. Caffeine also has effects on sleep. However, little is known about the interaction between sleep deprivation, circadian timing, and caffeine consumption on sleep. In this study, we compared the effects of caffeine on nocturnal sleep initiated at habitual circadian time and on daytime recovery sleep. Thirty-four moderate caffeine consumers participated in both caffeine (200 mg) and placebo (lactose) conditions in a double-blind crossover design. Seventeen subjects followed their habitual sleep-wake cycle and slept in the laboratory during the night (Night), while 17 subjects were sleep deprived for one night and recovery sleep started in the morning (DayRec). All subjects received a capsule of 100 mg of caffeine (or placebo) 3 h before bedtime, and the remaining dose 1 h before bedtime. Compared to placebo, caffeine lengthened sleep latency, increased stage 1, and reduced stage 2 and slow-wave sleep (SWS) in both groups. However, caffeine reduced sleep efficiency more strongly in the DayRec group, and decreased sleep duration and REM sleep only in that group. The stronger effects of caffeine on daytime recovery sleep compared to nocturnal sleep are probably the consequence of the combined influence of increasing circadian wake propensity drive and the dissipation of homeostatic sleep pressure. We propose that the reduction of SWS by caffeine during daytime sleep increases the impact of the circadian wake signal on sleep. These results have implications for individuals using caffeine during night time.
Neuropsychopharmacology 05/2007; 32(4):964-72. · 7.99 Impact Factor
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ABSTRACT: Morning-type individuals (M-types) have earlier sleep schedules than do evening types (E-types) and therefore differ in their exposure to the external light-dark cycle. M-types and E-types usually differ in their endogenous circadian phase as well, but whether this is the cause or the consequence of the difference in light exposure remains controversial. In this study, ambulatory monitoring was used to measure 24-h light exposure in M-type and E-type subjects for 7 consecutive days. The circadian phase of each subject was then estimated in the laboratory using the dim-light melatonin onset in saliva (DLMO) and the core body temperature minimum (Tmin). On average, M-types had earlier sleep schedules and earlier circadian phases than E-types. They also showed more minutes of daily bright light exposure (> 1000 lux) than E-types. As expected, the 24-h patterns of light exposure analyzed in relation to clock time indicated that M-types were exposed to more light in the morning than E-types and that the reverse was true in the late evening. However, there was no significant difference when the light profiles were analyzed in relation to circadian phase, suggesting that, on average, the circadian pacemaker of both M-types and E-types was similarly entrained to the light-dark cycle they usually experience. Some M-types and E-types had different sleep schedules but similar circadian phases. These subjects also had identical light profiles in relation to their circadian phase. By contrast, M-types and E-types with very early or very late circadian phases showed large differences in their profiles of light exposure in relation to their circadian phase. This observation suggests that in these individuals, early or late circadian phases are related to relatively short and long circadian periods and that a phase-delaying profile of light exposure in M-types and a phase-advancing profile in E-types are necessary to ensure a stable entrainment to the 24-h day.
Journal of Biological Rhythms 04/2007; 22(2):151-8. · 2.93 Impact Factor
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ABSTRACT: The aim of the present study was to evaluate the influence of season of birth and photoperiod at birth on diurnal preference in young adults. Participants were 1591 volunteers aged 17-35 years (69% women). The scores obtained on the Morningness-Eveningness Questionnaire (MEQ) of Horne and Ostberg were first assessed as a function of gender and season of birth by a two-way ANOVA. Results revealed a higher MEQ score (reflecting more morningness) in women than in men, and in individuals born during autumn than in those born during spring. There was no gender-by-season interaction. The MEQ scores of four categories of photoperiod at birth were also compared. Individuals born during short photoperiods of 8-10h showed stronger morningness than individuals born during photoperiods of 12-14 h. The highest morningness scores were observed in subjects born during 8-10h photoperiods in the autumn. By contrast, diurnal preference of subjects born during 8-10h photoperiods in the winter did not differ from diurnal preference of subjects born during longer photoperiods. Our results add support to previous reports showing an association between season of birth and morningness-eveningness, but this association cannot be explained entirely by the length of the photoperiod at birth. We suggest that the association between season of birth and diurnal preference reflects an influence of light intensity and/or variations in photoperiod during early development on the characteristics of the circadian system.
Neuroscience Letters 11/2006; 406(1-2):113-6. · 2.11 Impact Factor
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ABSTRACT: To evaluate the relationship between bed-wetting and various developmental milestones in a large and representative sample of young children.
A randomized 3-level stratified survey design.
Data were collected by questionnaires, and interviews were scheduled at home with the mother.
A representative sample of children born from 1997 to 1998 in Quebec. A complete set of data on bed-wetting was obtained for 1666 children at the ages of 29, 41, and 53 months.
Percentage of children who bed-wet and developmental factors associated with bed-wetting.
Approximately 10% of the children were bed-wetting at the age of 53 months. Bed-wetting cessation occurred for most children studied between the ages of 29 and 41 months. Motor skills were achieved by fewer boys who bed-wet compared with boys who did not (had sat up without support for 10 minutes at 5 months, P = .05; and had started crawling at 5 months, P<.01). More girls who bed-wet were prematurely born and had hyperactivity and inattention (P<.01 for all) compared with those who did not. Language milestones were achieved by fewer children who bed-wet compared with those who did not (boys: P = .04; girls: P = .02). No between-group difference was found for physical growth and sleep variables.
These findings show an association between bed-wetting and developmental milestones in early childhood. This study supports that bed-wetting could be indicative of a possible delay in the development of the central nervous system and could act as a noticeable indicator for parents and pediatricians.
Archives of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine 12/2005; 159(12):1129-34. · 4.14 Impact Factor
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ABSTRACT: The mechanisms underlying age-related changes in the signal from the biological clock have yet to be determined. The authors sought to determine if the phase advance of circadian melatonin rhythm during the middle years of life is related to different patterns of habitual light exposure. Forty-one healthy subjects between the ages of 22 and 58 y were studied. Habitual light exposure was measured by a wrist monitor for 7 days. Participants underwent a 25-h constant routine. They provided saliva samples every 30 min, and melatonin concentration was determined by radioimmunoassay to assess salivary dim light melatonin onset (S-DLMO(1.3)). Aging was associated with earlier S-DLMO(1.3). Increasing age was not related to the time spent at different light intensities. However, it was associated with lower percentage of light exposure during the night (between 0200-0400, 0600-0700, and 2300-2400 h) and with higher percentage of light exposure in the morning (between 0800-1100 h). Earlier S-DLMO(1.3) was associated with lower percentage of light exposure early on in the night (between 2200-0000, 0000-0100, and 0200-0300 h) as well as in the afternoon (between 1500-1600 h) and with higher percentage of light exposure in the morning (between 0800-1100 h). When the effects of age were controlled, there was no significant relationship between S-DLMO(1.3) and percentages of light exposure. Yet increasing age was associated with earlier S-DLMO(1.3) regardless of light exposure patterns. Earlier habitual wake time explained the earlier light exposure patterns of older subjects. Both habitual wake time and age contributed to the prediction of S-DLMO(1.3). The results suggest a phase advance of circadian rhythms in the middle years of life. Whereas a clear change in habitual light exposure patterns was associated with aging and with shifts in S-DLMO(1.3), it did not explain entirely the age-related advance of melatonin circadian phase.
Journal of Biological Rhythms 11/2005; 20(5):451-60. · 2.93 Impact Factor
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ABSTRACT: Recent reports have called into question the relevance of periodic leg movements during sleep disorder (PLMSD) as a specific clinical entity. Because periodic leg movement in sleep index (PLMSI) increases with age, it has become an important exclusion criterion in research on aging. However, it is unknown if PLMSI is related to sleep quality in middle-aged subjects without sleep complaints. The sleep of 70 healthy, middle-aged subjects (age 40 to 60 years) without sleep complaints was evaluated. Subjects were divided into two groups according to their PLMSI severity: (1) 43 subjects (28 women, 15 men) were in the low PLMSI group (<5) and (2) 22 subjects (9 women, 13 men) were in the high PLMSI group (>10). A significantly higher proportion of men than women showed PLMSI greater than 5. There was no significant effect of PLMSI severity group for polysomnographic sleep parameters. PLMSI exerted a small but significant effect on subjective sleep quality, especially in middle-aged men. These results raise questions about the relevance of PLMSI as a pathological index for middle-aged subjects without sleep complaints and support the notion that an increase in PLMSI may be part of the normal process of aging associated with the loss of dopaminergic function.
Movement Disorders 10/2005; 20(9):1127-32. · 4.51 Impact Factor
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ABSTRACT: It is now well established that symptoms of restless legs syndrome (RLS) are worsened by immobility and that their severity fluctuates according to a circadian pattern with a maximum occurring in the late evening or during the night. However, no study has ever attempted to dissociate these two effects. The objective of this study was to evaluate the nycthemeral variations in the effects of duration of immobility on symptoms of RLS.
A 28-hour modified constant routine protocol.
Sleep Disorders Center, Montreal Sacré-Coeur Hospital.
Seven patients with primary RLS (3 men, 4 women; mean age: 43.9 years) and seven controls matched for age (42.4 years) and gender.
None.
A 40-minute Suggested Immobilization Test (SIT) was repeated every 2 hours during the 28-hour protocol in order to quantify both subjective leg discomfort and periodic leg movements (PLM). Regarding leg discomfort, a two-way ANOVA performed on patients' data revealed a significant interaction (p = 0.037) between Time within the SIT and Time of day. Simple effect analyses performed to decompose the interaction showed that the increase in leg discomfort with duration of immobility was found only on SIT 7, 8, 9, 10 and 12, which corresponds to the period between 21:20 and 08:00. In addition, in patients, a significant circadian variation (p < 0.01) was found for the 28-hour profiles of leg discomfort progression during the SIT. No interaction or Time within the SIT effect was found for controls.
These results show that worsening of RLS symptoms by immobility is closely linked to their intrinsic circadian variation.
Sleep 08/2005; 28(7):843-6. · 5.05 Impact Factor
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ABSTRACT: To identify the factors most strongly associated with sleeping less than 6 consecutive hours at night for children aged 5, 17, and 29 months.
A randomized survey design used a representative sample of infants born in 1997-1998 in the Canadian province of Quebec. Data were collected by questionnaires and interviews. Interviews were scheduled at home with the mothers. The number of consecutive hours slept at night by 1741 children aged 5, 17, and 29 months was assessed from parental reports. Factors associated with fragmented sleep were investigated for each age in a cross-sectional design.
At 5 months of age, 23.5% of children did not sleep 6 consecutive hours. Of the children who did not sleep 6 consecutive hours at night at 5 months or 17 months of age, 32.9% were still not sleeping 6 consecutive hours at night at 29 months of age. The factor most strongly associated with not sleeping at least 6 consecutive hours per night at 5 months of age was feeding the child after an awakening. Parental presence until sleep onset was the factor most strongly associated with not sleeping at least 6 consecutive hours per night at 17 months and 29 months of age.
Sleep consolidation evolves rapidly in early childhood. Parental behaviors at bedtime and in response to a nocturnal awakening are highly associated with the child's sleep consolidation. The effects are probably bidirectional and probably create a long-term problem. Early interventions could possibly break the cycle.
Archives of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine 04/2005; 159(3):242-9. · 4.14 Impact Factor
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ABSTRACT: A shorter phase angle between habitual wake time and underlying circadian rhythms has been reported in evening types (E types) compared to morning-types (M types). In this study, phase angles were compared between 12 E types and 12 M types to verify if this difference was observed when the sleep schedule was relatively free from external social constraints. Subjects were selected according to their Morningness-Eveningness Questionnaire score (MEQ score). There were 6 men and 6 women in each group (ages 19-34 years), and all had a habitual sleep duration between 7 and 9 h. Sleep schedule was recorded by actigraphy and averaged over 7 days. Circadian phase was estimated by the hour of temperature minimum (T(min)) in a 26-h recording and by the timing of the onset of melatonin secretion (dim-light melatonin onset [DLMO]) measured in saliva samples. Phase angles were defined as the interval between phase markers and averaged wake time. Results showed that, in the present experimental conditions, phase angles were very similar in the 2 groups of subjects. However, results confirmed the previously reported correlation between phase and phase angle, showing that a later circadian phase was associated with a shorter phase angle. Gender comparisons showed that for a same MEQ score, women had an earlier DLMO and a longer phase angle between DLMO and wake time. Despite a significant difference in the averaged circadian phases between E-type and M-type groups, there was an overlap in the circadian phases of the subjects of the 2 groups. Further comparisons were made between the 2 circadian types, separately for the subgroups with overlapping or nonoverlapping circadian phases. In both subgroups, the significant difference between MEQ scores, bedtimes, and wake times were maintained in the expected direction. In the subgroup with nonoverlapping circadian phases, phase angles were shorter in E-type subjects, in accordance with previous studies. However, in the overlapping subgroup, phase angles were significantly longer in E types compared to M types. Results suggest that the morningness-eveningness preference identified by the MEQ score refers to 2 distinct mechanisms, 1 associated with a difference in circadian period and phase of entrainment and the other associated with chronobiological aspects of sleep regulation.
Journal of Biological Rhythms 07/2004; 19(3):248-57. · 2.93 Impact Factor
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ABSTRACT: Rats with ad libitum water and the ability to self-select among three macronutrient-rich diets--carbohydrate (CHO), protein (PRO), and lipid (LIP)--show a circadian rhythmicity in their ingestion. The aim of the present study was to determine whether this circadian rhythmicity is reliable from day to day. Eight rats were offered ad libitum water and a choice of three isoenergetic diet rations providing carbohydrate, protein, and lipid. Water and food intake was recorded every 3 h for 7 days. The reliability of the circadian rhythm of water and food intake was assessed by the Intraclass Correlation Coefficient (ICC) and the test-retest reliability using the Pearson's Correlation Coefficient (r). The results showed that the circadian rhythm of water, CHO, and PRO intake are strongly reliable. However, the circadian rhythm of LIP intake is less reproducible. Among the three reliable parameters-water, CHO, and PRO, the circadian rhythm of water intake was the most reproducible over 7 days. This suggests that water intake may be used as a marker of circadian rhythmicity in ingestive behavior.
Chronobiology International 06/2004; 21(3):385-92. · 4.03 Impact Factor
