Study on nondrug intervention of 7 days of balneotherapy combined with various sleep-promoting measures on people with sleep disorders: preliminary and pilot study.

To preliminarily explore a nondrug intervention method and evaluate its effects (sleep quality, physical examination indicators, and general physical symptoms) on people with sleep disorders. The intervention was based on regular balneotherapy, coupled with targeted health education, appropriate exercise, diet management, and other sleep-promoting measures. It was the combined effects that we evaluated. We recruited 31 volunteers with sleep disorders to receive a 7-day sleep-promoting experience in Tianxing International Hot Spring City, Nanchuan District, Chongqing. The intervention adopted a plan that combined balneotherapy with various sleep-promoting measures. Persisting baths in hot springs 1-2 times per day targeted health lectures about 1 h every morning, appropriate exercise every day (sleep-aid yoga, forest hiking, morning exercises, etc.), and diet management (the principle is to control oil, salt, and sugar, diversify food, keep meat and vegetable balanced, and control total calories. The dinner is light and easy to digest). During the intervention period, all participants followed the above intervention plan, and they lived in the spa resort to accept unified arrangement. This study adopted a self-contrast method by comparing the changes in sleep quality, physical examination indicators, and general physical symptoms before and after the intervention through physical examinations and questionnaire surveys. After the intervention, the subjects' total score of Insomnia Severity Index (ISI) decreased significantly (P = 0.006), and all seven dimensions showed a decrease, four of which included early morning awakening, sleep dissatisfaction, noticeability of sleep problems by others, and distress caused by sleep problems decreased significantly (all P < 0.05). The subjects' body mass index, waist circumference, fasting blood glucose, and triglycerides decreased significantly (all P < 0.05), and systolic blood pressure increased significantly (P = 0.006). Total cholesterol, high-density lipoprotein, low-density lipoprotein, and diastolic blood pressure did not change significantly (all P > 0.05). To some extent, all general health problems were improved than before the intervention (the improvement rate was up to 70% or more). The non-pharmacological intervention of balneotherapy combined with various sleep-promoting measures showed positive effects on sleep quality, general physical symptoms, and some physical examination indicators of sleep disorders. This comprehensive intervention may be an effective way to improve people's health with sleep disorders.

Spa therapy (balneotherapy) relieves mental stress, sleep disorder, and general health problems in sub-healthy people.

To investigate the relieving effects of hot spring balneotherapy on mental stress, sleep disorder, general health problems, and women's health problems in sub-healthy people, we recruited 500 volunteers in sub-health in Chongqing, and 362 volunteers completed the project, including 223 in the intervention group and 139 in the control group. The intervention group underwent hot spring balneotherapy for 5 months, while the control group did not. The two groups took questionnaire investigation (general data, mental stress, emotional status, sleep quality, general health problems, as well as some women's health problems) and physical examination (height, weight, waist circumference, blood pressure, blood lipid, blood sugar) 5 months before and after the intervention, respectively. After intervention, sleep disorder (difficulty in falling asleep (P = 0.017); dreaminess, nightmare suffering, and restless sleep (P = 0.013); easy awakening (P = 0.003) and difficulty in falling into sleep again after awakening(P = 0.016); and mental stress (P = 0.031) and problems of general health (head pain (P = 0.026), joint pain(P = 0.009), leg or foot cramps (P = 0.001), blurred vision (P = 0.009)) were relieved significantly in the intervention group, as compared with the control group. While other indicators (fatigue, eye tiredness, limb numbness, constipation, skin allergy) and women's health problems (breast distending pain; dysmenorrhea, irregular menstruation) were relieved significantly in the self-comparison of the intervention group before and after intervention (P < 0.05), but showed no statistically significant difference between two groups (P > 0.05). All indications (except bad mood, low mood, and worry or irritability) in the intervention group significantly improved, with effect size from 0.096 to 1.302. Multiple logistic regression analysis showed that the frequency, length, and location of balneotherapy in the intervention group were the factors influencing emotion, sleep, and health condition (P < 0.05). Relief of insomnia, fatigue, and leg or foot cramps was greater in old-age group than in young-aged group (P < 0.05). Physical examination found that waist circumferences in women of various ages under 55 years were significantly reduced in the intervention group (P < 0.05), while that in men did not significantly change (P > 0.05). Spa therapy (balneotherapy) relieves mental stress, sleep disorder, general health, and reduces women's waist circumferences in sub-healthy people.

[Health Qigong Wuqinxi improves hydrogen proton magnetic resonance spectra in prefrontal cortex and hippocampus in college students with mild depression].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the effects of health Qigong Wuqinxi exercise on mild depression in college students and analyze the changes in hydrogen proton magnetic resonance spectra (1H-MRS) in the prefrontal cortex and hippocampus after the exercise. METHODS: Fifty-eight volunteer college students, including 30 with mild depression and 28 healthy students, were randomized into the intervention group and non-intervention group. The students in the intervention group were asked to practice health Qigong Wuqinxi training for 12 weeks and those in the non-intervention group did not engage in such training. For each subject, BECK Depression Self-reported questionnaire (BDI), Hamilton Depression rating scale (HAMD) score, and the metabolic parameters of 1H-MRS in the prefrontal cortex and hippocampus were evaluated before and after the intervention. RESULTS: Before the intervention, the scores of BDI and HAMD in the depression group were significantly higher than that in the control group (P<0.01), and were lowered obviously after the 12-week intervention (P<0.01). Compared with the control group, 1H-MRS in the depression group before intervention showed significantly increased NAA/Cr value in the left prefrontal cortex, Cho/Cr value in the bilateral hippocampus and the left frontal lobe, and Cho/Cr value of the left hippocampus and right frontal lobe (P<0.05) with significantly lowered NAA/Cho value in the bilateral prefrontal and Cho/NAA value in the right hippocampus (P<0.05). After 12 weeks of intervention, NAA/Cr value in the bilateral hippocampus and the NAA/Cho value in the right hippocampus were significantly lowered (P<0.05), and NAA/Cho value in the right prefrontal and Cho/NAA value in the right hippocampus were significantly increased (P<0.05) in the depression group. Before the intervention, Pearson correlation analysis showed that the scores of HAMD and BDI were positively correlated with Cho/Cr value in the hippocampus and NAA/Cr value in prefrontal lobe (P<0.01) and inversely with NAA/Cho in prefrontal lobe and Cho/NAA value in the hippocampus (P<0.05); after the intervention, the scores of HAMD and BDI were positively correlated with NAA/Cr value in the hippocampus and Cho/Cr value in the left hippocampus (P<0.05). CONCLUSION: Exercise of health Qigong Wuqinxi can reduce depression scale scores in patients with mild depression and improve the metabolic indexes (NAA/Cr and Cho/Cr values) in the prefrontal cortex and the hippocampus.

[Effect of Benzo [α]pryene and Butylated Hydroxylanisole on Learning and Memory in Rats].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the neurotoxic effect of benzo[α]pryene (B[α]P) and protective effect of butylated hydroxyl anisole (BHA) on learning and memory in hippocampus of rats. METHODS: Ninety male, SD rats were randomly divided into blank control group, solvent control group, B[α]P exposed group [(2 mg/(kg x d)], BRA group [50 mg/(kg x d)] and B[α]P + BHA combined group. Rats were given the appropriate dose oral treatment according to body mass and group (the same volume of saline and peanut oil were given to blank and solvent control group, respectively) for 90 d. After 90 d exposer, Morris water maze (MWM) was conducted to estimate rats' learning and memory ability. The level of malonaldehyde (MDA), superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity, Na(+)-K(+)-ATPase and Ca(2+)-Mg(2+)-ATPase activity and Ca2+ concentration were measured after rats were sacrificed and brain tissue were removed. RESULTS: Behavioral test results showed that the escape latency of B[α]P exposed group were significantly increased than other groups (P < 0.05); however, the number of crossing platform (4.13 ± 0.78) were decreased significant. The level of MDA [( 2.46 ± 0.39) nmol/mg prot.] and Ca2+ concentration [(146.3 ± 16.68) nmol/L] in the B[α]P exposed group increased significant, while the activity of Na(+)-K(+)-ATPase and SOD [(76.1 ± 11.42) nmol/mg prot.] were significantly decreased. Compared with B[α]P group, each index in B[α]P+ BHA combined group improved significantly (P < 0.05), besides, there were no statistically difference when compared with solvent control group. CONCLUSION: The neurotoxic effect of B[α]P may be related to the decrease of ATPase activity and the increase of Ca2+ concentration in hippocampus, while BHA can prevent these damages.

[Effects of benzo(a)pyrene exposure on the ATPase activity and content of Ca²âº in the hippocampus of neonatal SD rats].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the effect of benzo(α)pyrene on the ATPase activity and content of Ca²âº in the hippocampus of neonatal SD rats. METHODS: Sixty male and 60 female 4-days-old neonatal SD rats were randomly divided into 5 groups (n=24): a blank control group, a vehicle control group (peanut oil), 3 benzo(α)pyrene groups (0.02, 0.2 and 2 mg/kg, respectively). SD rats were given benzo(α)pyrene (dissolved in peanut oil) by gavage daily from postnatal day 4 (PND4) to PND20. The nerve reflex, the condition of neuro-muscle development and motion function were examined in the period of treatment. The colorimetric technique was used to detect the activity of Ca²âº-ATPase and Ca²âº-Mg²âº-ATPase in hippocampus after the treatment. The concentration of Ca²âº of synapse in the hippocampus of rats was detected by fluorescent labeling. RESULTS: The results from the behavior tests showed that duration of surface reflex latency in rats with medium dose of benzo(α)pyrene was longer compared with that in the control group in PND12. The duration of surface reflex latency in rats with high dose of benzo(α) pyrene is longer in PND 14 and PND 16 compared with that in the control group (P<0.05). Compared with the rats in the control group, the activities of Ca²âº-Mg²âº-ATPase and Ca²âº-ATPase in hippocampus in rats with high dose benzo(α) pyrene were significantly decreased, and the degree in the decrease of Ca²âº-ATPase activity was dose-dependent (P<0.05). The contents of Ca²âº in the hippocampus in rats with medium or high dose of benzo(α) pyrene were significantly increased compared with that in the control group (P<0.05), which showed a dose-dependent manner (P<0.05). CONCLUSION: Benzo(α)pyrene exposure led to the decrease in ATPase activity as well as Ca²âº overload of the synapse in the hippocampal tissue, which in turn results in the nerve damage of newborn SD rats.