The impact of COVID-19 on Italian adolescents' sleep and its association with psychological factors.

Insomnia and circadian dysregulation during adolescence represent important risk factors for emotional and psychological problems. Recent studies have shown that the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has been linked to a high prevalence of behavioural sleep problems in the general population. This study aimed to provide two pictures of two different time points of the pandemic regarding the prevalence of sleep problems in adolescents and their association with psychological health variables. Two different independent large samples of Italian adolescents aged 13-17 years were recruited at two pandemic time points. A total of 1,146 adolescents at Time 1 (T1; April 2020) and 1,406 at Time 2 (T2; April 2021) took part in the study. Measures of insomnia symptoms, sleep hygiene, chronotype, psychological distress and emotion regulation were collected. Prevalence of insomnia was 12.13% at T1 and 23.19% at T2. Furthermore, high levels of poor sleep habits (late bedtime, poor sleep hygiene, use of electronic devices at bedtime) were also detected at both time points. Insomnia symptoms strongly correlated with poor sleep hygiene, higher psychological distress, and emotional suppression at both time points. Results highlighted an alarming picture for two large samples at two different time points of the pandemic that showed a potential negative impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, in both the first outbreak and in the later phase of the pandemic, on sleep habits, psychological distress and insomnia symptoms in adolescents. This strongly suggests the need for monitoring these variables and their interaction in the post-pandemic period and to develop and promote interventions for insomnia and circadian disturbances during adolescence.

Correction: Cutuli et al. Neuroprotective Role of Dietary Supplementation with Omega-3 Fatty Acids in the Presence of Basal Forebrain Cholinergic Neurons Degeneration in Aged Mice. Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2020, 21, 1741.

The authors wish to make the following corrections to this paper [...].

Interventions to reduce occupational stress and burn out within neonatal intensive care units: a systematic review.

Occupational stress is an emerging problem among physician and nurses, and those working in intensive care settings are particularly exposed to the risk of developing burnout. To verify what types of interventions to manage occupational stress and burn out within neonatal intensive care units (NICUs) have been introduced so far and to verify their efficacy among caregivers. PsycINFO (PsycINFO 1967-July week 3 2019), Embase (Embase 1996-2019 week 29) e Medline (Ovid MEDLINE(R) without revisions 1996-July week 2 2019) were systematically searched combining MeSH and free text terms for "burn out" AND "healthcare provider" AND "NICU". Inclusion criteria were interventions directed to healthcare providers settled in NICUs. Only English language papers were included. Six articles were included in the final analysis. All the studies reported an overall efficacy of the interventions in reducing work-related stress, both when individual focused and organisation directed. The analysis revealed low quality of the studies and high heterogeneity in terms of study design, included populations, interventions and their evaluation assessment. There is currently very limited evidence regarding the management of occupational stress and burn out within NICUs. The quality of available studies was suboptimal. The peculiarities of the NICUs should be considered when developing strategies for occupational stress management. Training self-awareness of workers regarding their reactions to the NICU environment, also from the pre-employment stage, could be an additional approach to prevent and manage stress.

Neuroprotective Role of Dietary Supplementation with Omega-3 Fatty Acids in the Presence of Basal Forebrain Cholinergic Neurons Degeneration in Aged Mice.

As major components of neuronal membranes, omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (n-3 PUFA) exhibit a wide range of regulatory functions. Recent human and animal studies indicate that n-3 PUFA may exert beneficial effects on aging processes. Here we analyzed the neuroprotective influence of n-3 PUFA supplementation on behavioral deficits, hippocampal neurogenesis, volume loss, and astrogliosis in aged mice that underwent a selective depletion of basal forebrain cholinergic neurons. Such a lesion represents a valid model to mimic a key component of the cognitive deficits associated with dementia. Aged mice were supplemented with n-3 PUFA or olive oil (as isocaloric control) for 8 weeks and then cholinergically depleted with mu-p75-saporin immunotoxin. Two weeks after lesioning, mice were behaviorally tested to assess anxious, motivational, social, mnesic, and depressive-like behaviors. Subsequently, morphological and biochemical analyses were performed. In lesioned aged mice the n-3 PUFA pre-treatment preserved explorative skills and associative retention memory, enhanced neurogenesis in the dentate gyrus, and reduced volume and VAChT levels loss as well as astrogliosis in hippocampus. The present findings demonstrating that n-3 PUFA supplementation before cholinergic depletion can counteract behavioral deficits and hippocampal neurodegeneration in aged mice advance a low-cost, non-invasive preventive tool to enhance life quality during aging.

Mindfulness and metacognition in facing with fear of recurrence: A proof-of-concept study with breast-cancer women.

OBJECTIVE: Fear of recurrence is a crucial issue in cancer care. On the one hand, the increase of cancer-survival rates and complexity of care is exposing patients to this type of fear. On the other hand, it is a distressing and recurrent psychosocial risk that affects quality of life and adherence to follow-up. Patients should have access to targeted psychological interventions aimed at reducing or preventing fear of recurrence. This mixed-methods pilot study reports the preliminary results of a novel mindfulness- and metacognition-based intervention specifically targeting fear of recurrence. METHODS: The study was composed of an individual (n = 76) and a group (n = 38) intervention, both lasting 8 weeks, that were evaluated through a preassessment and postassessment and a 1-month follow-up. We enrolled women recovering from breast cancer (n = 114) in follow-up care, with significant psychosocial distress. Patients with more severe psychopathology were assigned to the individual treatment, whereas the less severe ones were assigned to the group treatment. We explored the distress and the fear of recurrence through standardized measures and in-depth qualitative interviews. RESULTS: Results showed that depressive, anxious, and post-traumatic symptoms were reduced significantly in the entire sample. Patients reported a significant reduction of fear of recurrence, which was described in terms of loss of control, increase of uncertainty, and decrease of metacognitive and interpersonal skills. CONCLUSIONS: Although further studies are needed, these findings provide preliminary proof-of-concept results for the potential of integrated mindfulness- and metacognition-based interventions to reduce fear of recurrence in cancer patients.

Noise-induced hearing loss (NIHL) as a target of oxidative stress-mediated damage: cochlear and cortical responses after an increase in antioxidant defense.

This study addresses the relationship between cochlear oxidative damage and auditory cortical injury in a rat model of repeated noise exposure. To test the effect of increased antioxidant defenses, a water-soluble coenzyme Q10 analog (Qter) was used. We analyzed auditory function, cochlear oxidative stress, morphological alterations in auditory cortices and cochlear structures, and levels of coenzymes Q9 and Q10 (CoQ9 and CoQ10, respectively) as indicators of endogenous antioxidant capability. We report three main results. First, hearing loss and damage in hair cells and spiral ganglion was determined by noise-induced oxidative stress. Second, the acoustic trauma altered dendritic morphology and decreased spine number of II-III and V-VI layer pyramidal neurons of auditory cortices. Third, the systemic administration of the water-soluble CoQ10 analog reduced oxidative-induced cochlear damage, hearing loss, and cortical dendritic injury. Furthermore, cochlear levels of CoQ9 and CoQ10 content increased. These findings indicate that antioxidant treatment restores auditory cortical neuronal morphology and hearing function by reducing the noise-induced redox imbalance in the cochlea and the deafferentation effects upstream the acoustic pathway.

Astrocytic plasticity as a possible mediator of the cognitive improvements after environmental enrichment in aged rats.

Currently, little is known about the effect of environmental enrichment (EE) on astrocytic plasticity, especially during aging. Given the newly discovered role of the astrocytes in regulating the synaptic transmission and thereby, the cognitive functions, we aimed to study the impact of EE on the performance in a spatial memory task and on the number and morphology of GFAP immunopositive cells in the dorsal hippocampus. After two months of EE (3 h/per day), the animals were tested in the Radial-Arm Water Maze (RAWM) for four days, with six daily trials. Next, we analyzed the changes in the GFAP immunopositive cells in CA1, CA3 and Dentate Gyrus (DG). Behavioral results showed that, even in advanced ages, EE improved the performance in a spatial memory task. Also, we found that aged rats submitted to EE had more GFAP immunopositive cells in the DG and more complex astrocytes, revealed by Sholl analysis, in all hippocampal subfields with respect to the other experimental conditions. Interestingly, the learning of a spatial memory task produced more morphological complexity and higher levels of GFAP immunopositive cells with regard to a standard control group, but not at the same level of the enriched groups. Thus, it is possible that the plastic changes found in the hippocampal astrocytes after EE are involved in a brain reserve to cope with age-related cognitive impairments.

Promoting sleep health during pregnancy for enhancing women's health: a longitudinal randomized controlled trial combining biological, physiological and psychological measures, Maternal Outcome after THERapy for Sleep (MOTHERS).

BACKGROUND: Sleep is vital for maintaining individuals' physical and mental health and is particularly challenged during pregnancy. More than 70% of women during the gestational period report insomnia symptoms. Sleep dysfunction in the peripartum increases the risk for a cascade of negative health outcomes during late pregnancy, birth, and postpartum. While psychological interventions are considered the first line treatment for sleep difficulties, they are still scarcely offered during pregnancy and there is a lack of longitudinal research combining psychological and physiological indices. METHODS: The present protocol outlines a randomized controlled trial aimed at testing the long-term effectiveness of an automatized digitalized psychoeducational intervention for insomnia for expectant mothers complaining insomnia symptoms without comorbidity. Outcomes include physiological, hormonal, and subjective indices of maternal psychopathology, stress, and emotional processes, and sleep and wellbeing of the family system. The trial is part of a longitudinal study evaluating expectant mothers from early pregnancy (within the 15th gestational week) to 6-months postpartum through 6 observational phases: baseline (BSL), 6- and 12-weeks from BSL (FU1-FU2), 2-to-4 weeks after delivery (FU3), and 3- and 6-months after delivery (FU4-5). We plan to recruit 38 women without sleep difficulties (Group A) and 76 women with sleep difficulties (Group B). Group B will be randomly assigned to digital psychological control intervention (B1) or experimental psychoeducational intervention targeting insomnia (B2). At 3 time points, an ecological-momentary-assessment (EMA) design will be used to collect data on sleep and emotions (diaries), sleep-wake parameters (actigraphy) and stress reactivity (salivary cortisol). We will also test the DNA methylation of genes involved in the stress response as biomarkers of prenatal poor sleep. Information on partner's insomnia symptoms and new-borns' sleep will be collected at each stage. DISCUSSION: The proposed protocol aims at testing an easily accessible evidence-based psychoeducational intervention for expectant mothers to help them improving sleep, health, and wellbeing in the peripartum. The results could improve the understanding and management of sleep difficulties and peripartum depression. TRIAL REGISTRATION: The study protocol has been registered on 22 April 2024 with ClinicalTrials.gov Protocol Registration and Results System (PRS), ID: NCT06379074. PROTOCOL VERSION: April 23, 2024.

Cortical metabolic deficits in a rat model of cholinergic basal forebrain degeneration.

Evidence indicates that the degeneration of basal forebrain cholinergic neurons may represent an important factor underlying the progressive cognitive decline characterizing Alzheimer's disease (AD). However, the nature of the relationship between cholinergic depletion and AD is not fully elucidated. This study aimed at clarifying some aspects of the relation existing between deficits in cerebral energy metabolism and degeneration of cholinergic system in AD, by investigating the neuronal metabolic activity of several cortical areas after depletion of basal forebrain cholinergic neurons. In cholinergically depleted rats, we evaluated the neuronal metabolic activity by assaying cytochrome oxidase (CO) activity in frontal, parietal and posterior parietal cortices at four different time-points after unilateral injection of 192 IgG-saporin in the nucleus basalis magnocellularis. Unilateral depletion of cholinergic cells in the basal forebrain induced a bilateral decrease of metabolic activity in all the analyzed areas. Frontal and parietal cortices showed decreased metabolic activity even 3 days after the lesion, when the cholinergic degeneration was still incomplete. In posterior parietal cortex metabolic activity decreased only 7 days after the lesion. The possible molecular mechanisms underlying these findings were also investigated. Real-time PCR showed an increase of CO mRNA levels at 3, 7 and 15 days after the lesion both in frontal and parietal cortices, followed by normalization at 30 days. Western Blot analysis did not show any change in CO protein levels at any time-point after the lesion. Our findings support a link between metabolic deficit and cholinergic hypofunctionality characterizing AD pathology. The present model of cholinergic hypofunctionality provides a useful means to study the complex mechanisms linking two fundamental and interrelated phenomena characterizing AD from the early stages.

A single intraperitoneal injection of endotoxin in rats induces long-lasting modifications in behavior and brain protein levels of TNF-α and IL-18.

BACKGROUND: Systemic inflammation might cause neuronal damage and sustain neurodegenerative diseases and behavior impairment, with the participation of pro-inflammatory cytokines, like tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α and interleukin (IL)-18. However, the potential contribution of these cytokines to behavioral impairment in the long-term period has not been fully investigated. METHODS: Wistar rats were treated with a single intraperitoneal injection of LPS (5 mg/kg) or vehicle. After 7 days and 10 months, the animal behavior was evaluated by testing specific cognitive functions, as mnesic, discriminative, and attentional functions, as well as anxiety levels. Contextually, TNF-α and IL-18 protein levels were measured by ELISA in defined brain regions (that is, frontal cortex, hippocampus, striatum, cerebellum, and hypothalamus). RESULTS: Behavioral testing demonstrated a specific and persistent cognitive impairment characterized by marked deficits in reacting to environment modifications, possibly linked to reduced motivational or attentional deficits. Concomitantly, LPS induced a TNF-α increase in the hippocampus and frontal cortex (from 7 days onward) and cerebellum (only at 10 months). Interestingly, LPS treatment enhanced IL-18 expression in these same areas only at 10 months after injection. CONCLUSIONS: Overall, these results indicate that the chronic neuroinflammatory network elicited by systemic inflammation involves a persistent participation of TNF-α accompanied by a differently regulated contribution of IL-18. This leads to speculation that, though with still unclear mechanisms, both cytokines might take part in long-lasting modifications of brain functions, including behavioral alteration.

Psychological correlates of insomnia in professional soccer players: An exploratory study.

Sleep promotes health, well-being, recovery and athletic performance. As a consequence, sleep problems in athletes may have detrimental effects. Previous investigations showed that professional athletes often reported to suffer of poor sleep quality and insomnia (e.g. difficulties falling asleep and/or maintaining sleep). However, psychological variables exacerbating and maintaining insomnia in professional athletes as well as its mechanistic pathways are still largely unknown. Available literature mostly focused on effects of sport-related variables, such as evening training and stimulant consumption on athletes' sleep. Instead, the contribution of cognitive and emotional variables globally associated with insomnia in athletes in clinical models has been largely neglected. To address these limitations, this study explored the associations between emotional experience, pre-sleep arousal, pre-sleep worry and rumination and insomnia severity in a sample of 210 (25.93 ± 6.68 years) male professional soccer players. Bivariate correlations, multiple regression, and structural equation modelling with manifest variables (path analysis) were computed. Results showed that insomnia severity was associated with stimulants consumption, pre-sleep arousal, negative emotions, positive emotions, and pre-sleep worry/rumination (all p < .05). Path analysis showed that relationship between stimulant consumption, emotional experience, worry/rumination and insomnia was mediated by pre-sleep arousal (p < .05). Our results suggest that preventive and interventional studies in professional soccer players would benefit from considering global cognitive-emotional variables as targets of interventions.HighlightsInsomnia was associated with greater stimulants consumption, pre-sleep arousal, negative emotions, pre-sleep worry/rumination, and lower positive emotions.Path analysis showed that pre-sleep arousal mediated the relationship between stimulant consumption, emotional experience, worry/rumination and insomnia severity.Cognitive-emotional and behavioural factors as well as sport-related variables were important predictors of insomnia in professional soccer players.

Before or after does it matter? Different protocols of environmental enrichment differently influence motor, synaptic and structural deficits of cerebellar origin.

Cerebellar compensation is a reliable model of lesion-induced plasticity occurring through profound synaptic and neurochemical modifications in cortical and sub-cortical regions. As the recovery from cerebellar deficits progresses, the firstly enhanced glutamate striatal transmission is then normalized. The time course of cerebellar compensation and the concomitant striatal modifications might be influenced by protocols of environmental enrichment (EE) differently timed in respect to cerebellar lesion. In the present study, we analyzed the effects of different EE protocols on postural and locomotor behaviors (by means of a neurological rating scale), and on striatal synaptic activity (by means of recordings of spontaneous glutamate-mediated excitatory postsynaptic currents (sEPSCs)) and on morphological correlates (by means of density and dendritic length of Fast Spiking (FS) interneurons) following hemicerebellectomy (HCb) in rats. Cerebellar motor deficits were reduced faster in the enriched animals in comparison to standard housed HCbed rats. The beneficial influence of EE was higher in the animals enriched before the HCb than in rats enriched only after the lesion. In parallel, the HCb-induced increase in striatal sEPSCs was not observed in rats enriched before HCb and attenuated in rats enriched after HCb. Furthermore, the EE prevented the shrinkage of dendritic arborization of FS striatal interneurons. Also this effect was more marked in animals enriched before than after the HCb. The exposure to EE exerted either neuro-protective or therapeutic actions on the cerebellar deficits. The experience-dependent changes of the synaptic and neuronal connectivity observed in the striatal neurons may represent one of the mechanisms through which the enrichment facilitates functional compensation following the cerebellar damage.

Plastic changes in striatal fast-spiking interneurons following hemicerebellectomy and environmental enrichment.

Recent findings suggest marked interconnections between the cerebellum and striatum, thus challenging the classical view of their segregated operation in motor control. Therefore, this study was aimed at further investigating this issue by analyzing the effects of hemicerebellectomy (HCb) on density and dendritic length of striatal fast-spiking interneurons (FSi). First, we analyzed the plastic rearrangements of striatal FSi morphology in hemicerebellectomized animals reared in standard conditions. Then, since environmental enrichment (EE) induces structural changes in experimental models of brain disease, we evaluated FSi morphology in lesioned animals exposed to an enriched environment after HCb. Although HCb did not affect FSi density, it progressively shrank dendritic branching of striatal FSi of both sides. These plastic changes, already evident 15 days after the cerebellar ablation, became very marked 30 days after the lesion. Such a relevant effect was completely abolished by postoperative enrichment. EE not only counteracted shrinkage of FSi dendritic arborization but also provoked a progressive increase in dendritic length which surpassed that of the controls as the enrichment period lengthened. These data confirm that the cerebellum and striatum are more interconnected than previously retained. Furthermore, cerebellar damage likely evokes a striatal response through cortical mediation. The EE probably modifies HCb-induced plastic changes in the striatum by increasing the efficiency of the cortical circuitry. This is the first study describing the morphological rearrangement of striatal FSi following a cerebellar lesion; it provides the basis for further studies aimed at investigating the mechanisms underlying cerebello-striatal "talking."

Exposure to an enriched environment accelerates recovery from cerebellar lesion.

The exposure to enriched environments allows the maintenance of normal cognitive functioning even in the presence of brain pathology. Up until now, clinical and experimental studies have investigated environmental effects mainly on the symptoms linked to the presence of neuro-degenerative diseases, and no study has yet analyzed whether prolonged exposure to complex environments allows modifying the clinical expression and compensation of deficits of cerebellar origin. In animals previously exposed to complex stimulations, the effects of cerebellar lesions have been analyzed to verify whether a prolonged and intense exposure to complex stimulations affected the compensation of motor and cognitive functions following a cerebellar lesion. Hemicerebellectomized or intact animals housed in enriched or standard conditions were administered spatial tests. Postural asymmetries and motor behavior were also assessed. Exposure to the enriched environment almost completely compensated the effects of the hemicerebellectomy. In fact, the motor and cognitive performances of the enriched hemicerebellectomized animals were similar to those of the intact animals. The plastic changes induced by enhanced mental and physical activity seem to provide the development of compensatory responses against the disrupting motor and cognitive consequences of the cerebellar damage.

Sleep Characteristics in Italian Children During Home Confinement Due to Covid-19 Outbreak.

OBJECTIVE: Italy faced one of the first large clusters of COVID-19 infections worldwide. Home confinement and social distancing could have negatively impacted sleep habits and prevalence of sleep disorders in children, which may be also linked with altered emotional processes. The present study focused on clinical aspects related to sleep, insomnia and emotions in Italian children aged 0-to-12 years during home confinement due to COVID-19 outbreak. METHOD: An online survey was systematically distributed in all Italian territories by contacting regional offices of the Italian Ministry of Instruction, University and Research (MIUR) and schools with available contact. All respondents had to be parents of at least one child aged 0 to 12 years old. Information on sociodemographic variables, sleep habits, sleep health behaviors, sleep disorders and mood were collected. RESULTS: Parents of 2361 children (mean age: 8.1 ± 2.62 years; 1148 females; 1213 males) answered the survey. 1.2% of children was between 0 and 2 years old; 15.3% within 3 to 5 years and 83.3% within 6 and 12 years. In all group ages, late bedtime was observed (most of them after 9 p.m.). 59.4% of all children presented at least one clinical diagnostic criterion for childhood insomnia. Logistic regression model showed that presence of at least one criterion for childhood insomnia was associated to younger age, negative mood, current parental insomnia, being the only child, presence of any other sleep disorder, and sleep hygiene behaviors. CONCLUSIONS: Data indicate an alarming increase of prevalence of insomnia related problems in Italian children during home confinement with respect to previous data. This was found to be associated with poor sleep hygiene and negative mood. Clinical programs targeting insomnia, sleep health behaviors and emotional processes should be implemented in pediatric primary care in order to prevent the development of sleep problems in a post-pandemic situation.

Cerebellar damage loosens the strategic use of the spatial structure of the search space.

The influence of a hemicerebellar lesion on the exploration of environments with different spatial distributions of multiple rewards was analyzed. Hemicerebellectomized (HCbed) and intact rats were submitted to a search task in which they had to explore nine food trays in an open field, avoiding repeated visits. Trays were spatially arranged in four configurations: cross, 3 x 3 matrix, circle, and three clusters of three trays each. Lesioned and intact rats' performances improved in all configurations used. However, the explorative activity of the HCbed animals differed from that of intact rats. Lesioned animals spent more time, made more errors, displayed lower search efficiency, exhibited shorter final spans, and traveled longer distances. They tended to perseverate and to neglect some trays. The cerebellar damage differentially influenced performances as a specific effect of the susceptibility of the configurations to being explored in a principled way. In the cross configuration that had strong spatial constraints, both groups made their lowest number of errors. In the circle configuration, the altered explorative strategies of lesioned animals made extremely demanding the acquisition of the task of searching multiple rewards, in spite of the attempt of favoring their altered procedures through an appropriate spatial arrangement. Since the procedural impairment elicited by cerebellar damage affected the central exploration, the matrix configuration was the most difficult configuration to be explored by the HCbed rats. The poor performances in the cluster configuration indicated that chunking was a strategy of relative strength in rats in general and in HCbed rats in particular.

Insomnia in the Italian Population During Covid-19 Outbreak: A Snapshot on One Major Risk Factor for Depression and Anxiety.

Objectives: One of the largest clusters of Covid-19 infections was observed in Italy. The population was forced to home confinement, exposing individuals to increased risk for insomnia, which is, in turn, associated with depression and anxiety. Through a cross-sectional online survey targeting all Italian adult population (≥18 yrs), insomnia prevalence and its interactions with relevant factors were investigated. Methods: The survey was distributed from 1st April to 4th May 2020. We collected information on insomnia severity, depression, anxiety, sleep hygiene behaviors, dysfunctional beliefs about sleep, circadian preference, emotion regulation, cognitive flexibility, perceived stress, health habits, self-report of mental disorders, and variables related to individual difference in life changes due to the pandemic's outbreak. Results: The final sample comprised 1,989 persons (38.4 ± 12.8 yrs). Prevalence of clinical insomnia was 18.6%. Results from multivariable linear regression showed that insomnia severity was associated with poor sleep hygiene behaviors [ß = 0.11, 95% CI (0.07-0.14)]; dysfunctional beliefs about sleep [ß = 0.09, 95% CI (0.08-0.11)]; self-reported mental disorder [ß = 2.51, 95% CI (1.8-3.1)]; anxiety [ß = 0.33, 95% CI (0.25-0.42)]; and depression [ß = 0.24, 95% CI (0.16-0.32)] symptoms. Conclusion: An alarming high prevalence of clinical insomnia was observed. Results suggest that clinical attention should be devoted to problems of insomnia in the Italian population with respect to both prevention and treatment.

The Association between Diurnal Sleep Patterns and Emotions in Infants and Toddlers Attending Nursery.

BACKGROUND: Childcare programs often include mandatory naptime during the day. Loss of daytime sleep could lead to a moderate-to-large decrease in self-regulation, emotion processing, and learning in early childhood. Nevertheless, daytime sleep has been less accurately studied than nighttime sleep. This study aims to explore the relationship between diurnal sleep habits in nursery settings, nocturnal sleep quality, and post-nap emotional intensity in infants and toddlers. METHODS: Data of 92 children (52 girls, 40 boys) aged 6 to 36 months were obtained. Sleep habits as well as positive and negative emotions were monitored by educators during nursery times through a sleep and emotion diary for two weeks. RESULTS: Explorative analyses showed that diurnal sleep hours decreased across age groups (except for females aged 25-36 months) and that all age groups had a lower amount of nocturnal sleep than is recommended by the National Sleep Foundation. Partial correlation analysis showed significant correlation between daytime sleep onset latency and positive emotions. Mediation analyses showed that daytime napping is relevant for emotional functioning independently of nocturnal sleep quality. CONCLUSIONS: Daytime sleep in early childhood seems to be linked to the management of positive and negative emotions and could play a role in healthy development of emotional processes.

Behavioral, neuromorphological, and neurobiochemical effects induced by omega-3 fatty acids following basal forebrain cholinergic depletion in aged mice.

BACKGROUND: In recent years, mechanistic, epidemiologic, and interventional studies have indicated beneficial effects of omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (n-3 PUFA) against brain aging and age-related cognitive decline, with the most consistent effects against Alzheimer's disease (AD) confined especially in the early or prodromal stages of the pathology. In the present study, we investigated the action of n-3 PUFA supplementation on behavioral performances and hippocampal neurogenesis, volume, and astrogliosis in aged mice subjected to a selective depletion of basal forebrain cholinergic neurons. Such a lesion represents a valuable model to mimic one of the most reliable hallmarks of early AD neuropathology. METHODS: Aged mice first underwent mu-p75-saporin immunotoxin intraventricular lesions to obtain a massive cholinergic depletion and then were orally supplemented with n-3 PUFA or olive oil (as isocaloric control) for 8 weeks. Four weeks after the beginning of the dietary supplementation, anxiety levels as well as mnesic, social, and depressive-like behaviors were evaluated. Subsequently, hippocampal morphological and biochemical analyses and n-3 PUFA brain quantification were carried out. RESULTS: The n-3 PUFA treatment regulated the anxiety alterations and reverted the novelty recognition memory impairment induced by the cholinergic depletion in aged mice. Moreover, n-3 PUFA preserved hippocampal volume, enhanced neurogenesis in the dentate gyrus, and reduced astrogliosis in the hippocampus. Brain levels of n-3 PUFA were positively related to mnesic abilities. CONCLUSIONS: The demonstration that n-3 PUFA are able to counteract behavioral deficits and hippocampal neurodegeneration in cholinergically depleted aged mice promotes their use as a low-cost, safe nutraceutical tool to improve life quality at old age, even in the presence of first stages of AD.

Interventions for sleep problems during pregnancy: A systematic review.

Sleep problems during pregnancy are prevalent and could be linked to negative outcomes during pregnancy or post-partum. However, these complaints are often underdiagnosed and undertreated. This review aimed to systematically assess the effectiveness of different interventions to ameliorate poor sleep quality and insomnia during pregnancy. Pubmed, PsycINFO and Medline databases were systematically searched without publication period restriction until 3rd May 2019. Eligible studies had to: include pregnant women of any age and gestational age; use clinical intervention designs targeted at improving sleep outcome; report pre- and post-treatment data for one or more sleep-related outcomes; be published in English, Italian, German, Spanish, or French. Sixteen studies were selected including 1252 expecting mothers. Studies evaluated the efficacy of various interventions: cognitive behavioral interventions for insomnia (4); pharmacotherapy (1); acupuncture (1); mindfulness and yoga (3); relaxation (5) and herbal medication (2). Only six were randomized controlled trials, and only four evaluated longitudinal outcomes. Preliminary support was found for all interventions, but our knowledge is still too limited by lack of evidence. There is an utmost urgency to perform high-quality randomized controlled trials for insomnia interventions during pregnancy and to implement effective programs in standard gynecological care.