Median Nerve Shear Wave Elastography is Associated With the Neurophysiological Severity of Carpal Tunnel Syndrome.

OBJECTIVES: This study examines the associations between the median nerve (MN) shear wave elastography (SWE), the MN cross-sectional area (CSA), patient's symptoms, and the neurophysiological severity of carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS). The most appropriate site to perform SWE was also tested. METHODS: This prospective study comprised 86 wrists of 47 consecutive patients who volunteered for MN ultrasound after an electrodiagnostic study. The neurophysiological severity of CTS was assessed according to the results of a nerve conduction study (NCS). The MN CSA was measured at the carpal tunnel inlet (wCSA) and the forearm (fCSA). SWE was performed on the MN in a longitudinal orientation at the wrist crease (wSWE), at the forearm (fSWE), and within the carpal tunnel (tSWE). RESULTS: The wCSA and wSWE correlated positively with the neurophysiological severity of CTS (r = .619, P < .001; r = .582, P < .001, respectively). The optimal cut-off values to discriminate the groups with normal NCS and with findings indicating CTS were 10.5 mm2 for the wCSA and 4.12 m/s for the wSWE. With these cut-off values, wCSA had a sensitivity of 80% and specificity of 87% and wSWE a sensitivity of 88% and specificity of 76%. Neither tSWE nor fSWE correlated with the neurophysiological severity of CTS or differed between NCS negative and positive groups (P = .429, P = .736, respectively). CONCLUSION: Shear wave velocity in the MN at the carpal tunnel inlet increases in CTS and correlates to the neurophysiological CTS severity equivalently to CSA measured at the same site.

Evaluation of risk factors for sleep-disordered breathing in dogs.

BACKGROUND: Brachycephalic dogs display sleep-disordered breathing (SDB). The risk factors for SDB remain unknown. OBJECTIVES: To identify risk factors for SDB. We hypothesized that brachycephaly, increasing severity of brachycephalic obstructive airway syndrome (BOAS), excess weight, and aging predispose to SDB. ANIMALS: Sixty-three privately owned pet dogs were prospectively recruited: 28 brachycephalic and 35 normocephalic (mesaticephalic or dolicocephalic) dogs. METHODS: Prospective observational cross-sectional study with convenience sampling. Recording with the neckband was done over 1 night at each dog's home. The primary outcome measure was the obstructive respiratory event index (OREI). Body condition score (BCS) was assessed, and BOAS severity was graded for brachycephalic dogs. RESULTS: Brachycephaly was a significant risk factor for high OREI value (ratio of the geometric means 5.6, 95% confidence interval [CI] 3.2-9.9; P < .001) but aging was not (1.1, 95% CI 1.0-1.2; P = .2). Excess weight, defined as a BCS of over 5/9, (3.5, 95% CI 1.8-6.7; P < .001) was a significant risk factor. In brachycephalic dogs, BOAS-positive class (moderate or severe BOAS signs) was a significant risk factor (2.5, 95% CI 1.1-5.6; P = .03). CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL IMPORTANCE: Brachycephaly decreases welfare in a multitude of ways, including disrupting sleep. Brachycephaly, increasing severity of BOAS and excess weight are risk factors for obstructive SDB.

Description of a novel method for detection of sleep-disordered breathing in brachycephalic dogs.

BACKGROUND: Sleep-disordered breathing (SDB), defined as any difficulty in breathing during sleep, occurs in brachycephalic dogs. Diagnostic methods for SDB in dogs require extensive equipment and laboratory assessment. OBJECTIVES: To evaluate the usability of a portable neckband system for detection of SDB in dogs. We hypothesized that the neckband is a feasible method for evaluation of SDB and that brachycephaly predisposes to SDB. ANIMALS: Twenty-four prospectively recruited client-owned dogs: 12 brachycephalic dogs and 12 control dogs of mesocephalic or dolicocephalic breeds. METHODS: Prospective observational cross-sectional study with convenience sampling. Recording was done over 1 night at each dog's home. The primary outcome measure was the obstructive Respiratory Event Index (OREI), which summarized the rate of obstructive SDB events per hour. Additionally, usability, duration of recording, and snore percentage were documented. RESULTS: Brachycephalic dogs had a significantly higher OREI value (Hodges-Lehmann estimator for median difference = 3.5, 95% confidence interval [CI] 2.2-6.8; P < .001) and snore percentage (Hodges-Lehmann estimator = 34.2, 95% CI 13.6-60.8; P < .001) than controls. A strong positive correlation between OREI and snore percentage was detected in all dogs (rs = .79, P < .001). The neckband system was easy to use. CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL IMPORTANCE: Brachycephaly is associated with SDB. The neckband system is a feasible way of characterizing SDB in dogs.

Median nerve ultrasound cross sectional area and wrist-to-forearm ratio in relation to carpal tunnel syndrome related axonal damage and patient age.

Objective: Primary objective was to retrospectively examine the effects of patient age and carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS) related axon loss on median nerve (MN) high resolution ultrasound (HRUS) in younger and older patients. HRUS parameters evaluated in this study were MN cross sectional area at the wrist (CSA) and wrist-to-forearm ratio (WFR). Methods: The material comprised 467 wrists of 329 patients. The patients were categorized into younger (<65 years) and older (≥65 years) groups. Patients with moderate to extreme CTS were included in the study. Axon loss of the MN was assessed by needle EMG and graded by the interference pattern (IP) density. The association between axon loss and CSA and WFR was studied. Results: The older patients had smaller mean CSA and WFR values compared to the younger patients. CSA correlated positively to the CTS severity only in the younger group. However, WFR correlated positively to CTS severity in both groups. In both age groups, CSA and WFR correlated positively with IP reduction. Conclusions: Our study complemented recent findings on the effects of patient age on the CSA of the MN. However, although the MN CSA did not correlate with the CTS severity in older patients, the CSA increased in respect to the amount of axon loss. Also, as a new result, we presented the positive association of WFR with CTS severity among older patients. Significance: Our study supports the recently speculated need for different MN CSA and WFR cut-off values for younger and older patients in assessing the severity of CTS. With older patients, WFR may be a more reliable parameter to assess the CTS severity than the CSA. CTS related axonal damage of the MN is associated to additional nerve enlargement at the carpal tunnel intel site.

Genetic background to attention deficit and hyperactivity disorder and attention deficit and hyperactivity disorder symptoms at the age of 5 years: the role of sleep duration.

STUDY OBJECTIVES: We studied the associations between polygenic risk score (PRS) for attention deficit and hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and (1) ADHD symptoms in 5-year-old children, (2) sleep duration throughout childhood, and (3) the interaction between PRS for ADHD and short sleep duration relative to ADHD symptoms at 5 years. METHODS: This study is based on the population-based CHILD-SLEEP birth cohort (N = 1420 children). PRS was used to quantitate the genetic risk for ADHD. Parent-reported ADHD symptoms at 5 years were obtained from 714 children, using the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ) and the Five-to-Fifteen (FTF). Our primary outcomes were SDQ-hyperactivity and FTF-ADHD total scores. Parent-reported sleep duration was measured at 3, 8, 18, 24 months, and 5 years in the whole sample and actigraphy-based sleep duration at 2 and 24 months in a subsample. RESULTS: PRS for ADHD associated with SDQ-hyperactivity (ß = 0.214, p = .012) and FTF-ADHD total (ß = 0.639, p = .011), and FTF-inattention and hyperactivity subscale scores (ß = 0.315, p = .017 and ß = 0.324, p = .030), but not with sleep duration at any time point. Significant interactions were found between high PRS for ADHD and parent-reported short sleep throughout childhood in FTF-ADHD total score (F = 4.28, p = .039) and FTF-inattention subscale (F = 4.66, p = .031). We did not find any significant interaction between high PRS for ADHD and actigraphy-based short sleep. CONCLUSIONS: Parent-reported short sleep moderates the association between genetic risk of ADHD and ADHD symptoms in early childhood in the general population, so that children with short sleep, in combination with high genetic risk for ADHD, could be at highest risk for ADHD symptoms.

Methods for Detecting Abnormal Ventilation in Children - the Case Study of 13-Years old Pitt-Hopkins Girl.

We present contactless technology measuring abnormal ventilation and compare it with polysomnography (PSG). A 13-years old girl with Pitt-Hopkins syndrome presented hyperpnoea periods with apneic spells. The PSG was conducted simultaneously with Emfit movement sensor (Emfit, Finland) and video camera with depth sensor (NEL, Finland). The respiratory efforts from PSG, Emfit sensor, and NEL were compared. In addition, we measured daytime breathing with tracheal microphone (PneaVox,France). The aim was to deepen the knowledge of daytime hyperpnoea periods and ensure that no upper airway obstruction was present during sleep. The signs of upper airway obstruction were not detected despite of minor sleep time. Monitoring respiratory effort with PSG is demanding in all patient groups. The used unobtrusive methods were capable to reveal breathing frequency and hyperpnoea periods. Every day diagnostics need technology like this for monitoring vital signs at hospital wards and at home from subjects with disabilities and co-operation difficulties.

Season is related to the slow wave and sigma activity of infants and toddlers.

OBJECTIVE/BACKGROUND: Slow wave activity (SWA) and sigma frequency activity (SFA) are hallmarks of NREM sleep EEG and important indicators of neural plasticity, development of the central nervous system, and cognition. However, little is known about the factors that modulate these sleep EEG activities, especially in small children. PATIENTS/METHODS: We analyzed the power spectral densities of SWA (1-4 Hz) and SFA range (10-15 Hz) from six EEG derivations of 56 infants (8 months) and 60 toddlers (24 months) during their all-night sleep and during the first and the last half of night sleep. The spectral values were compared between the four seasons. RESULTS: In the spring group of infants, compared with the darker seasons, SFA was lower in the centro-occipital EEG derivations during both halves of the night. The SWA findings of the infants were restricted to the last half of the night (SWA2) and frontally, where SWA2 was higher during winter than spring. The toddlers presented less frontal SWA2 during winter compared with autumn. Both age groups showed a reduction in both SWA and SFA towards the last half of the night. CONCLUSIONS: The sleep EEG spectral power densities are more often associated with seasons in infants' SFA range. The results might stem from seasonally changing light exposure, but the exact mechanism warrants further study. Moreover, contrary to the adult-like increment of SFA, the SFA at both ages was lower at the last part of the night sleep. This suggests different regulation of spindle activity in infants and toddlers.

Large Intraneural Ganglion Cyst in the Peroneal Nerve.

A 23-year-old previously healthy male was referred to the clinical neurophysiology unit due to a relatively fast-onset paralysis of muscles of the anterior right leg. Electroneuromyography (ENMG) revealed a total denervation of the muscles innervated by the deep peroneal nerve, diminished sensory response of the superficial peroneal nerve, and partial denervation of the peroneus longus muscle. Ultrasound and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) revealed a large fluid collection inside the common peroneal nerve, primarily suspected to be an intraneural ganglion cyst. The cyst was surgically excised, and the function of the muscles innervated by the peroneal nerve was recovering at the control ENMG 6 months later. We describe a case of a large intraneural ganglion cyst of the peroneal nerve in an otherwise healthy young male, diagnosis by ENMG, ultrasound, and MRI, as well as subsequent operative treatment. This report demonstrates the utility of nerve ultrasound in differentiating between different causes of peroneal nerve dysfunction.

Reduction in median nerve cross-sectional area at the forearm correlates with axon loss in carpal tunnel syndrome.

OBJECTIVE: To explore the relationship between axon loss and measured cross-sectional areas of the median nerve (MN) in severe carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS). METHODS: In this retrospective study of 158 examined wrists, we compared axon loss to the ultrasound parameters MN cross-sectional area at the wrist (wCSA), MN cross-sectional area at the forearm (fCSA) and wrist-to-forearm ratio (WFR), in patients with moderate to extreme CTS. Axon loss was evaluated by needle electromyography (EMG) of the abductor pollicis brevis muscle (spontaneous activity and reduction of interference pattern). RESULTS: Both the spontaneous activity and interference pattern reduction correlated negatively to fCSA (r = -0.189, p = 0.035; r = -0.210, p = 0.019; respectively). In moderate CTS, both the spontaneous activity and interference pattern reduction correlated positively to WFR (r = 0.231, p = 0.048; r = 0.232, p = 0.047; respectively). The WFR was highest when slight spontaneous activity was detected. Neither wCSA nor WFR correlated with axon loss in severe and extreme CTS. CONCLUSIONS: The fCSA is smaller when axon loss in CTS is more prominent. The WFR is highest when CTS is associated with slight axon loss of the MN. SIGNIFICANCE: CTS might cause retrograde axonal atrophy detected as small fCSA. Prominent axon loss in CTS may reduce the diagnostic value of WFR.

The Effects of Genetic Background for Diurnal Preference on Sleep Development in Early Childhood.

PURPOSE: No previous research has examined the impact of the genetic background of diurnal preference on children´s sleep. Here, we examined the effects of genetic risk score for the liability of diurnal preference on sleep development in early childhood in two population-based cohorts from Finland. PARTICIPANTS AND METHODS: The primary sample (CHILD-SLEEP, CS) comprised 1420 infants (695 girls), and the replication sample (FinnBrain, FB; 962 girls) 2063 infants. Parent-reported sleep duration, sleep-onset latency and bedtime were assessed at three, eight, 18 and 24 months in CS, and at six, 12 and 24 months in FB. Actigraphy-based sleep latency and efficiency were measured in CS in 365 infants at eight months (168 girls), and in 197 infants at 24 months (82 girls). Mean standard scores for each sleep domain were calculated in both samples. Polygenic risk scores (PRS) were used to quantitate the genetic risk for eveningness (PRSBestFit) and morningness (PRS10kBest). RESULTS: PRSBestFit associated with longer sleep-onset latency and later bedtime, and PRS10kBest related to shorter sleep-onset latency in CS. The link between genetic risk for diurnal preference and sleep-onset latency was replicated in FB, and meta-analysis resulted in associations (P<0.0005) with both PRS-values (PRSBestFit: Z=3.55; and PRS10kBest: Z=-3.68). Finally, PRSBestFit was related to actigraphy-based lower sleep efficiency and longer sleep latency at eight months. CONCLUSION: Genetic liability to diurnal preference for eveningness relates to longer sleep-onset during the first two years of life, and to objectively measured lowered sleep efficiency. These findings enhance our understanding on the biological factors affecting sleep development, and contribute to clarify the physiological sleep architecture in early childhood.

Nighttime melatonin secretion and sleep architecture: different associations in perimenopausal and postmenopausal women.

BACKGROUND: Sleep quality typically decreases after menopause, but the underlying mechanisms are poorly understood. Concentrations of melatonin are lower and its secretion profiles different before and after menopause. However, whether and how melatonin and sleep architecture are associated in women of different reproductive states have not been examined to date. METHODS: Overnight serum melatonin samples were taken from 17 perimenopausal and 18 postmenopausal healthy women. Sleep quality was measured with all-night polysomnography recordings. RESULTS: Melatonin concentrations tended to be the lowest during NREM sleep, and were associated with higher odds of transitions from wake to NREM sleep. The curves of predicted overnight melatonin values from linear mixed models varied according to sleep phases (NREM, REM, Wake) in perimenopausal, but not in postmenopausal women. In perimenopause higher melatonin area under curve (AUC) correlated with higher slow-wave activity (p = 0.043), and higher minimum concentrations with shorter slow-wave sleep (SWS) latency (p = 0.029). In postmenopause higher mean and maximum melatonin concentrations and AUC correlated with lower SWS percentage (p = 0.044, p = 0.029, p = 0.032), and higher mean (p = 0.032), maximum (p = 0.032) and minimum (p = 0.037) concentrations with more awakenings from REM sleep. In the age- and BMI- adjusted regression models, the association between higher maximum (p = 0.046) melatonin concentration and lower SWS percentage remained. CONCLUSIONS: The relationship between melatonin and sleep architecture differed in perimenopausal and postmenopausal women. After menopause, high melatonin concentrations were associated with worse sleep. Whether these different patterns are related to aging of the reproductive system, and to decrease in menopausal sleep quality, remains to be elucidated.

Sleep Spindle Features and Neurobehavioral Performance in Healthy School-Aged Children.

PURPOSE: In adults, central fast-frequency sleep spindles are involved in learning and memory functions. The density of local spindles is higher than global spindles, emphasizing the importance of local plastic neural processes. In children, findings on the association of spindles with cognition are more variable. Hence, we aim to study whether the local spindles are also important for neurobehavioral performance in children. METHODS: We studied the correlations between local (occurring in only one channel: Fp1, Fp2, C3, or C4), bilateral, and diffuse (occurring in all four channels) spindles and neurobehavioral performance in 17 healthy children (median age 9.6 years). RESULTS: Local spindles were not as frequent as bilateral spindles (P-values < 0.05). Central spindle types had significant correlations with sensorimotor and language functions (e.g., the density of bilateral central spindles correlated positively with the Object Assembly in NEPSY, r = 0.490). Interestingly, frontopolar spindles correlated with behavior (e.g., the more bilateral the frontopolar spindles, the less hyperactive the children, r = -0.618). CONCLUSIONS: In children, the local spindles, but also more widespread central spindles, seem to be involved in the cognitive processes. Based on our findings, it is important that ageadjusted frequency limits are used in studies evaluating the frequencies of spindles in children.

The Neurophysiological Severity of Carpal Tunnel Syndrome Cannot Be Predicted by Median Nerve Cross-Sectional Area and Wrist-to-Forearm Ratio.

PURPOSE: The median nerve cross-sectional area at the wrist (CSA) and the wrist-to-forearm ratio of the cross-sectional areas (WFR) are ultrasound parameters used in the diagnosis and grading of carpal tunnel syndrome. This study aimed to determine the diagnostic accuracy of the CSA and WFR as well as to compare their diagnostic value. METHODS: A retrospective evaluation was conducted of a cohort of 218 patients who had undergone nerve conduction studies (NCSs) and an ultrasound of the median nerve. The examined wrists were classified into an NCS negative and three NCS positive (mild, moderate, and severe) categories. The CSA and WFR were compared across the categories. RESULTS: The CSA and WFR were significantly smaller in the NCS negative category than in the NCS positive categories. The WFR was significantly smaller in the mild category than in the moderate category. The CSA could not be used to differentiate across the NCS positive categories. CONCLUSIONS: The CSA and WFR are satisfactorily reliable in detecting carpal tunnel syndrome, but they cannot be considered as surrogate indicators of electrophysiological severity.

Snoring toddlers with and without obstructive sleep apnoea differed with regard to snoring time, adenoid size and mouth breathing.

AIM: The difficulty of assessing the likelihood of obstructive sleep apnoea (OSA) in children who snore without full-night polysomnography is widely recognised. Our aim was to identify features that were characteristic of two-year-old children with OSA and evaluate whether this information could be used to assess the likelihood of OSA. METHODS: The study was carried out as part of the Child-Sleep Project, a longitudinal birth cohort study of children born at Tampere University Hospital, Finland. This part of the study focused on the children in the cohort who snored and was carried out between 2013 and 2015. The primary outcomes were measured using parental questionnaires, polysomnography and clinical examinations. RESULTS: In total, 52 children participated at a mean age of 27 months (range 23-34). Of these, 32 (44% male) snorers and 20 (70% male) controls. The most significant findings were that children who had OSA demonstrated longer snoring time (P = .003), a greater tendency for mouth breathing (P = .007) and bigger adenoid size (P = .008) than snorers without OSA. CONCLUSION: Snoring time, adenoid tissue size and mouth breathing were important features that identified the likelihood of OSA in snoring toddlers.

Slow-wave activity and sigma activities are associated with psychomotor development at 8 months of age.

STUDY OBJECTIVES: The electrophysiological properties of non-rapid eye movement sleep (NREM) EEG are homeostatically modulated on global and local use-dependent levels. Furthermore, the local NREM quality reflects age-dependent brain maturation and individual, age-independent, and psychomotor potential. Cortical maturation and its electrophysiological marker, Slow-wave activity (SWA), as well as sleep spindles are known to change in topography and quality during the early years of life, but their associations with psychomotor development in infants are unknown. Therefore, we aimed to evaluate the local properties of SWA and spindles (sigma power) and ascertain whether they correlate with psychomotor development in 8-month-old infants. METHODS: Ambulatory polysomnographies were recorded in 56 infants at 8 months of age to calculate the local SWA and sigma powers. The associations between the SWA and sigma powers and psychomotor development (Bayley-III) were examined in 36 of these infants. RESULTS: In both hemispheres, the highest SWA and sigma powers were found occipitally and centrally, respectively, with higher powers in the right hemisphere than in the left. The Bayley-III correlated with local SWA and sigma powers: the occipital SWA and centro-occipital sigma correlated with cognitive scales, and the frontal and occipital SWA and centro-occipital sigma correlated with language and fine motor scales. Most of the correlations were unilateral. CONCLUSIONS: In 8-month-old infants, the NREM sleep quality shows local differences that are mostly attributable to the topical phase of brain maturation. The local NREM parameters correlate with psychomotor development.

Sleep architecture is related to the season of PSG recording in 8-month-old infants.

To date, little is known about the impact of season on infant sleep. In higher latitudes, the duration of daily light time varies substantially between different seasons, and environmental light is one potential factor affecting sleep. In this cohort study, one-night polysomnography (PSG) was performed on 72 healthy 8-month-old infants in 2012 and 2013 to study the effect of season on the sleep architecture of young infants in Finland. The children were divided into four subgroups, according to the amount of light during their birth season and the amount of light during the season of the PSG recordings, corresponding to spring, summer, autumn, and winter. We found that the season of birth did not have an impact on the infants' sleep architecture at 8 months of age, but the season of the PSG recording did have an effect on several sleep variables. In the PSGs conducted during the spring, there was less N3 sleep and more N2 sleep than in the PSGs conducted during the autumn. In addition, there was more fragmented sleep during spring than autumn. According to our data, the season has an effect on the sleep architecture of young infants and should, therefore, be considered when evaluating the PSG findings of young infants. The exact mechanisms behind this novel finding remain unclear, however. The findings imply that infants` sleep is affected by the season or light environment, as is the case in adult sleep. Since potential explanatory factors, such as direct natural or artificial light exposure and the melatonin levels of the infants, were not controlled, more research is needed in the future to better understand this phenomenon.

Night Awakening and Its Association With Executive Functioning Across the First Two Years of Life.

Longitudinal associations between signaled night awakening and executive functioning (EF) at 8 and 24 months in children with (≥ 3 awakenings, n = 77) and without parent-rated fragmented sleep (≤ 1 awakening, n = 69) were studied. EF was assessed with the Switch task at 8 and 24 months. At 24 months, behavioral tasks and parental ratings of EF (Behavior Rating Inventory of Executive Function-Preschool version) were also used. In the Switch task, children with fragmented sleep were less able to learn stimulus sequences and inhibit previously learned responses than children without fragmented sleep. The groups differed only marginally in parental ratings of EF, and no differences were found in behavioral EF tasks. These results suggest that eye movement-based measures may reveal associations between sleep and EF already in infancy and toddlerhood.

Neurobehavioral Outcomes in School-Aged Children with Primary Snoring.

OBJECTIVE: We assess behavioral and attentional problems and neurocognitive functioning in school-aged children with primary snoring (PS). METHODS: Seventeen children with PS and 27 non-snoring peers aged 6-10 years took part in the study. All children underwent a polysomnography (PSG) at the Sleep Laboratory. Snoring was defined by parents and with PSG. Children with obstructive sleep apnea were excluded. The parents completed the Sleep Disturbance Scale for Children. Parents and teachers assessed behavioral and attentional problems with the Child Behavior Checklist and the Conners' Rating Scale-Revised. Neuropsychological assessment included the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children and the Developmental Neuropsychological Assessment (NEPSY test). RESULTS: The PS group had significantly more parent-reported internalizing, total, and attentional problems than the control group. Teachers did not report behavioral problems in the PS group. The PS and control groups had equal IQ scores and similar core neurocognitive functions, except for one visuospatial subtest. The PS group had significantly more inspiratory flow limitation and increased diaphragmatic electromyography compared with the controls. Parents reported significantly more daytime sleepiness in the PS group. Daytime sleepiness and snoring time were consistently associated with more behavioral and attentional problems. Flow limitation and more oxygen saturation values under 90% were associated with attentional problems, higher oxygen desaturation index, and lower mean oxygen saturation percentage with reduced language functions. CONCLUSIONS: Snoring with an increase in respiratory effort without apneas and hypopneas and parent-reported daytime sleepiness may be linked to daytime symptoms. School-aged children with PS are at risk for behavioral and attentional problems, but not cognitive impairments.

Sleep architecture is related to birth season in 1-month-old infants.

Individual variation in sleep quality, quantity, and architecture is pronounced in small infants. Reasons for this remain largely unclear, even though environmental and genetic factors have been suggested to play a role. In order to study the effect of birth seasons on infant sleep architecture, 85 healthy 1-month-old infants underwent an overnight polysomnography (PSG). The PSGs were conducted in 2011-2013. The cohort was divided into four subgroups according to the amount of seasonal light at the time of birth, with each group covering a period of approximately three months. The groups were labeled IL (increasing light), L (light), ID (increasing darkness), and D (dark), corresponding to spring, summer, autumn, and winter, respectively. We found the amount of stage R sleep (precursor of REM sleep, formerly active sleep) to be the highest in infants born in summer, whereas infants born in winter presented the smallest amount of stage R sleep. Infants born in summer presented the smallest amount of stage T sleep (transitional sleep), while stage T sleep was most abundant in infants born in winter. In addition, infants born in summer showed the shortest total sleep time (TST) and the smallest number of awakenings during the study night. This was the first PSG study to find out that birth season modifies the sleep architecture of infants.

Effect of Maxillomandibular Advancement Surgery on Pharyngeal Airway Volume and Polysomnography Data in Obstructive Sleep Apnea Patients.

PURPOSE: To study volumetric changes in the upper airway in patients with obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) after maxillomandibular advancement (MMA) and compare those findings with polysomnographic (PSG) data of the same patients. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The study included 20 patients with OSA (1 woman and 19 men; mean age, 48 yr; range, 31 to 59 yr). Mean values of angles formed by the sella, nasion, and B point and the sella, nasion, and A point before surgery indicated mandibular and maxillary retrognathia, respectively. All patients were treated with MMA and pre- and postoperative orthodontics. Pre- and post-treatment cone-beam computed tomograms were used to measure upper airway volume and PSG data were used to examine the apnea-hypopnea index (AHI) and oxygen desaturation index (ODI-3 or ODI-4). In addition, Epworth Sleepiness Scale (ESS) score, General Health Questionnaire (GHQ-12) score, and amount of MMA were collected from patients' files. RESULTS: Mean maxillary and mandibular advancement was 4.6 ± 1.9 and 9.3 ± 1.7 mm, respectively. A statistically relevant increase (mean, 64.1%) in airway volume was found, with large individual variation. ODI-3 or ODI-4 and AHI values showed statistically relevant improvements from before to after surgery. ODI-3 or ODI-4 score decreased from 12.3 ± 9.8 to 4.0 ± 4.2 and AHI score decreased from 21.4 ± 13.8 to 5.8 ± 7.2. ESS scores showed improvement (lower scores) after surgery for most patients (n = 15), whereas GHQ-12 scores showed improvement (lower scores) for only 6 patients. CONCLUSION: MMA increases upper airway volume and lessens OSA symptoms according to PSG data. MMA can be considered curative treatment for OSA; however, residual apnea as measured by the AHI can be found in many patients.