Genetic factors underlying insomnia and ovarian insufficiency.

Premature ovarian insufficiency (POI) is characterized by a loss of regular hormone production and egg release in women below the age of 40 years, which often leads to infertility, vaginal dryness and dysfunctional sleep. Acknowledging the common co-occurrence of insomnia and POI, we tested the overlap between POI and insomnia-associated genes, which were implicated in previous large-scale populational genetics efforts. Among the 27 overlapping genes, three pathways were found as enriched: DNA replication, homologous recombination and Fanconi anemia. We then describe biological mechanisms, which link these pathways to a dysfunctional regulation and response to oxidative stress. We propose that oxidative stress may correspond to one of the convergent cellular processes between ovarian malfunction and insomnia pathogenic etiology. This overlap might also be driven by cortisol release associated with dysregulated DNA repair mechanisms. Benefiting from the enormous advances in populational genetics studies, this study provides a novel outlook on the relationship between insomnia and POI. The shared genetic factors and critical biological nodes between these two comorbidities may lead to identification of putative pharmacological and therapeutical targets, which can leverage novel approaches to treat or alleviate their symptoms.

Sleep bruxism and its associations with insomnia and OSA in the general population of Sao Paulo.

Sleep bruxism (SB) is characterized by recurrent masticatory muscle activity during sleep with occasional tooth grinding. SB can be concomitant with sleep apnea although its association with insomnia is understudied. STUDY OBJECTIVE: Assess the strength of the associations between SB, insomnia and sleep apnea in a general population. METHODS: Data from the 2007 EPISONO general population study (n = 1042; Sao Paulo, Brazil) were reused for the present analyses. The data was collected from polysomnography (PSG) and from a questionnaire. SB could only be assessed as "possible" with self-report questionnaires, but as "definitive" with both self-reports and PSG. Logistic regression and decision tree analyses were performed. RESULTS: Logistic regression analyses revealed that being male, overweight, obese, having an apnea/hypopnea index (AHI) above 30 and insomnia syndrome are among risk factors for SB (prevalence ratio (PR): 1.5-3.3). A high AHI and insomnia syndrome had similar PRs, 2.7 and 2.8, respectively. Decision tree analysis showed that insomnia syndrome contributed to the predictive accuracy of SB self-report (88%). A similar estimate (91%) was observed with SB PSG data. Correspondence analysis illustrated three age profiles in participants: (1) good sleepers aged 20-35 years, (2) females aged 35-50 years with SB and concomitant insomnia syndrome, and (3) participants aged ≥ 50 years with obesity and sleep apnea. CONCLUSIONS: Insomnia is likely a condition associated with SB, especially in middle-age females, while sleep apnea seems age and gender dependent. Such overlap may influence the treatment decision to achieve best outcomes. CLINICAL TRIAL REGISTRATION: EPISONO study; Clinical trials.gov ID # NCT00596713.

Sleep disturbance and atopic dermatitis: A bidirectional relationship?

Atopic dermatitis (AD) is one of the most common pediatric dermatologic disorders and is associated with an increased risk of recurrent bacterial and viral cutaneous infections, such as impetigo, the most common bacterial infection in children. AD may impair patient quality of life in a number of ways, one of which is its impact on sleep. The way that the condition affects sleep has not yet been fully elucidated; it is clear that the symptoms of the disease such as pruritus and scratching can affect sleep but other factors, such as changes in the immunological system related to the disease can also have an effect. We argue that this relationship may be bi-directional, with changes to the skin barrier (barrier dysfunction, alterations in its microbiome and oxidative stress) and immunological function caused by the condition impairing sleep and leading to imbalanced inflammatory pathways that exacerbate AD and other associated conditions such as impetigo. We highlight the need for further studies to investigate this correlation between AD and sleep to make the role of this relationship clearer.

Impact of insomnia on pain in postmenopausal women.

BACKGROUND: Sleep disturbances and pain are assumed to be reciprocally linked. Insomnia and pain are central symptoms of the postmenopausal period and are closely related. Insomnia affects quality of life, increases pain sensitivity, the risk of pain-related disability, and other health problems. OBJECTIVE: To investigate whether insomnia influences aspects of pain (pain intensity and the effect of pain on daily function) in postmenopausal women, and to evaluate the objective sleep pattern of insomniacs with pain. METHODS: Fifty-seven women completed questionnaires about insomnia, climacteric symptoms, and pain. Polysomnography data were collected as well as their medical history. Patients were allocated into three groups: control, subthreshold insomnia, and insomnia. Pain intensity, climacteric symptoms and objective sleep pattern were compared between groups. RESULTS: Postmenopausal women with insomnia had statistically significant higher pain interference in their activities (e.g. relationships with other people, enjoyment of life and sleep) than controls, and had more severe climacteric symptoms. There were no statistically significant differences in pain intensity and objective sleep pattern between groups. CONCLUSIONS: Insomnia status affected climacteric symptoms and pain interference, but not pain intensity in postmenopausal women. Women with insomnia had higher rates of climacteric symptoms than those without insomnia or those with subthreshold insomnia. No changes in objective sleep pattern were found.

The interaction between erectile dysfunction complaints and depression in men: a cross-sectional study about sleep, hormones and quality of life.

Depression (DEP) is one of the main disabling diseases and is considered a contributor factor for erectile dysfunction (ED). Both of these conditions may be associated with hormonal changes and sleep disturbances. We aimed to evaluate the interaction between ED complaints and depression symptoms on sleep parameters, hormone levels and quality of life in men. This was a cross-sectional study of 468 men aged 20-80 years. The participants were classified according to the presence of ED and/or DEP in groups of healthy individuals, ED, DEP and DEP with ED (DEP-ED). All participants completed questionnaires about sleep, clinical history and quality of life, and underwent polysomnography with blood collection the following morning. ED participants showed higher frequency of insomnia symptoms (65.5%), whereas DEP group had more complaints of difficulty in falling asleep and early morning awakening. In the polysomnography, all groups showed similar parameters. No differences were found in cortisol and total testosterone levels; however, free testosterone levels and the physiological domain of quality of life were lower in DEP-ED group. ED and DEP, as independent factors, negatively affected subjective sleep parameters. The interaction between these factors led to a low quality of life and was related to a decrease in free testosterone levels.

Sleep disorder or simple sleep ontogeny? Tendency for morningness is associated with worse sleep quality in the elderly.

The objective of this study was to evaluate the alterations in sleep and circadian parameters during the aging process. The study sample comprises volunteers older than 18 up to 90 years of age that answered the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) and the Horne and Östberg circadian preference questionnaire. We observed that the shift to morningness with increasing age is associated with a significant worsening in sleep quality. We discuss that this sleep profile characterized by morningness and worse sleep quality observed in elderly, when compared to younger people, reflects not necessarily a pathological state, but an expected profile for this age group.

Vitamin E supplementation inhibits muscle damage and inflammation after moderate exercise in hypoxia.

BACKGROUND: Exercise under hypoxic conditions represents an additional stress in relation to exercise in normoxia. Hypoxia induces oxidative stress and inflammation as mediated through tumour necrosis factor (TNF)-α release that might be exacerbated through exercise. In addition, vitamin E supplementation might attenuate oxidative stress and inflammation resulting from hypoxia during exercise. The present study aimed to evaluate the effects of vitamin E supplementation (250 mg) on inflammatory parameters and cellular damage after exercise under hypoxia simulating an altitude of 4200 m. METHODS: Nine volunteers performed three sessions of 60 min of exercise (70% maximal oxygen uptake) interspersed for 1 week under normoxia, hypoxia and hypoxia after vitamin E supplementation 1 h before exercise. Blood was collected before, immediately after and at 1 h after exercise to measure inflammatory parameters and cell damage. RESULTS: Percentage oxygen saturation of haemoglobin decreased after exercise and recovered 1 h later in the hypoxia + vitamin condition (P < 0.05). Supplementation decreased creatine kinase (CK)-TOTAL, CK-MB and lactate dehydrogenase 1 h after exercise (P < 0.05). The exercise in hypoxia increased interleukin (IL)-6, TNF-α, IL-1ra and IL-10 immediately after exercise (P < 0.05). Supplementation reversed the changes observed after exercise in hypoxia without supplementation (P < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: We conclude that 250 mg of vitamin E supplementation at 1 h before exercise reduces cell damage markers after exercise in hypoxia and changes the concentration of cytokines, suggesting a possible protective effect against inflammation induced by hypoxia during exercise.

Musculoskeletal pain and the reproductive life stage in women: is there a relationship?

Objectives To investigate the association between reproductive life stage, pain perception and musculoskeletal pain complaint in a representative sample of women from São Paulo, Brazil. Methods A population-based survey was carried out with 574 women who were classified as being in the premenopausal or postmenopausal stage. They answered questions about pain perception and musculoskeletal pain. Follicle stimulating hormone was collected to confirm menopausal condition along with clinical evaluation. Results In the whole sample, we found a prevalence of 56% for pain perception and 20.2% for complaints of musculoskeletal pain. Regarding the topography of musculoskeletal pain, the distributions were similar among the premenopausal and postmenopausal groups. No significant association was found between reproductive life stage and pain perception, as 58.1% of the premenopausal group and 52.0% of the postmenopausal group reported pain. Similarly, there was no significant association between menopausal stage and musculoskeletal pain, as 19.5% and 21.6% of the premenopausal and postmenopausal women, respectively, complained of musculoskeletal pain. There was no significant association of postmenopausal stage (early or late) with pain perception or musculoskeletal pain. The use of analgesics was significantly higher in postmenopausal compared to premenopausal women (p < 0.001). Conclusion A high prevalence of pain was found in women from the city of São Paulo. However, neither the presence of musculoskeletal pain nor pain perception were associated with the reproductive life stage, showing that both parameters was independent from the menopausal status in the studied women.

Sleep disorder or simple sleep ontogeny? Tendency for morningness is associated with worse sleep quality in the elderly

The objective of this study was to evaluate the alterations in sleep and circadian parameters during the aging process. The study sample comprises volunteers older than 18 up to 90 years of age that answered the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) and the Horne and Östberg circadian preference questionnaire. We observed that the shift to morningness with increasing age is associated with a significant worsening in sleep quality. We discuss that this sleep profile characterized by morningness and worse sleep quality observed in elderly, when compared to younger people, reflects not necessarily a pathological state, but an expected profile for this age group.

Control of Stress-Induced ACTH Secretion by Vasopressin and CRH: Additional Evidence

Vasopressin and CRH have complementary roles in the secretion of ACTH following different stress modalities. The concomitant use of V-1b and CRF1 receptor antagonists completely inhibits ACTH secretion in response to different stress modalities. The combination of the CRF1 antagonist SSR125543 with the V-1b antagonist SSR149415 effectively suppressed plasma ACTH 1.30 h after injection in rats stressed by ether vapor inhalation for 1 min, restraint stress for 1 h or forced swimming for 5 min. The duration of the effect was also studied. The CRF1 antagonist effectively suppressed ACTH secretion in restraint stress, while the V-1b antagonist was effective against ether inhalation. Both antagonists were necessary to block the forced swimming stress response. SSR125543 induced a prolonged effect and can be used in a model of prolonged HPA axis blockade. (C) 2016 S. Karger AG, Basel

Acupuncture to Treat Sleep Disorders in Postmenopausal Women: A Systematic Review.

Sleep disorders are commonly observed among postmenopausal women, with negative effects on their quality of life. The search for complementary therapies for sleep disorders during postmenopausal period is of high importance, and acupuncture stands out as an appropriate possibility. The present review intended to systematically evaluate the available literature, compiling studies that have employed acupuncture as treatment to sleep disorders in postmenopausal women. A bibliographic search was performed in PubMed/Medline and Scopus. Articles which had acupuncture as intervention, sleep related measurements as outcomes, and postmenopausal women as target population were included and evaluated according to the Cochrane risk of bias tool and to the STRICTA guidelines. Out of 89 search results, 12 articles composed our final sample. A high heterogeneity was observed among these articles, which prevented us from performing a meta-analysis. Selected articles did not present high risk of bias and had a satisfactory compliance rate with STRICTA guidelines. In general, these studies presented improvements in sleep-related variables. Despite the overall positive effects, acupuncture still cannot be stated as a reliable treatment for sleep-related complaints, not due to inefficacy, but rather limited evidence. Nevertheless, results are promising and new comprehensive and controlled studies in the field are encouraged.

Effects of a physical fitness program on memory and blood viscosity in sedentary elderly men

The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of a 6-month exercise program on cognitive function and blood viscosity in sedentary elderly men. Forty-six healthy inactive men, aged 60–75 years were randomly distributed into a control group (n=23) and an experimental group (n=23). Participants underwent blood analysis and physical and memory evaluation, before and after the 6-month program of physical exercise. The control group was instructed not to alter its everyday activities; the experimental group took part in the fitness program. The program was conducted using a cycle ergometer, 3 times per week on alternate days, with intensity and volume individualized at ventilatory threshold 1. Sessions were continuous and maximum duration was 60 min each. There was significant improvement in memory (21%; P<0.05), decreased blood viscosity (−19%; P<0.05), and higher aerobic capacity (48%; P<0.05) among participants in the experimental group compared with the control group. These data suggest that taking part in an aerobic physical fitness program at an intensity corresponding to ventilatory threshold-1 may be considered a nonmedication alternative to improve physical and cognitive function.

Effects of a physical fitness program on memory and blood viscosity in sedentary elderly men.

The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of a 6-month exercise program on cognitive function and blood viscosity in sedentary elderly men. Forty-six healthy inactive men, aged 60-75 years were randomly distributed into a control group (n=23) and an experimental group (n=23). Participants underwent blood analysis and physical and memory evaluation, before and after the 6-month program of physical exercise. The control group was instructed not to alter its everyday activities; the experimental group took part in the fitness program. The program was conducted using a cycle ergometer, 3 times per week on alternate days, with intensity and volume individualized at ventilatory threshold 1. Sessions were continuous and maximum duration was 60 min each. There was significant improvement in memory (21%; P<0.05), decreased blood viscosity (-19%; P<0.05), and higher aerobic capacity (48%; P<0.05) among participants in the experimental group compared with the control group. These data suggest that taking part in an aerobic physical fitness program at an intensity corresponding to ventilatory threshold-1 may be considered a nonmedication alternative to improve physical and cognitive function.

Musicians and Dystonia: Is Sleep Part of the Problem?

We would like to congratulate Lee and Altenmüller for their recent study showing important findings about the characterization of a task-specific dystonia in a young professional percussionist. The authors presented in an elegant way the EMG investigation and treatment approach and the possible differential diagnoses, raising an important question about the need for physicians' awareness of this condition when considering musicians' health. We would like to add a new point of view in order to contribute with this discussion and provide critical thinking for a multidisciplinary approach to this type of dystonia, which may affect many individuals and result in severe compromise of musical technical performance. One factor that could also be potentially associated with the percussion-related dystonia is sleep.