A Protocol to Determine Circadian Phase by At-Home Salivary Dim Light Melatonin Onset Assessment.

Internal circadian phase assessment is increasingly acknowledged as a critical clinical tool for the diagnosis, monitoring, and treatment of circadian rhythm sleep-wake disorders and for investigating circadian timing in other medical disorders. The widespread use of in-laboratory circadian phase assessments in routine practice has been limited, most likely because circadian phase assessment is not required by formal diagnostic nosologies, and is not generally covered by insurance. At-home assessment of salivary dim light melatonin onset (DLMO, a validated circadian phase marker) is an increasingly accepted approach to assess circadian phase. This approach may help meet the increased demand for assessments and has the advantages of lower cost and greater patient convenience. We reviewed the literature describing at-home salivary DLMO assessment methods and identified factors deemed to be important to successful implementation. Here, we provide specific protocol recommendations for conducting at-home salivary DLMO assessments to facilitate a standardized approach for clinical and research purposes. Key factors include control of lighting, sampling rate, and timing, and measures of patient compliance. We include findings from implementation of an optimization algorithm to determine the most efficient number and timing of samples in patients with Delayed Sleep-Wake Phase Disorder. We also provide recommendations for assay methods and interpretation. Providing definitive criteria for each factor, along with detailed instructions for protocol implementation, will enable more widespread adoption of at-home circadian phase assessments as a standardized clinical diagnostic, monitoring, and treatment tool.

Diagnostic and Treatment Challenges of Sighted Non-24-Hour Sleep-Wake Disorder.

STUDY OBJECTIVES: To report the diagnostic and treatment challenges of sighted non-24-hour sleep-wake disorder (N24SWD). METHODS: We report a series of seven sighted patients with N24SWD clinically evaluated by history and sleep diaries, and when available wrist actigraphy and salivary melatonin levels, and treated with timed melatonin and bright light therapy. RESULTS: Most patients had a history of a delayed sleep-wake pattern prior to developing N24SWD. The typical sleep-wake pattern of N24SWD was seen in the sleep diaries (and in actigraphy when available) in all patients with a daily delay in midpoint of sleep ranging 0.8 to 1.8 hours. Salivary dim light melatonin onset (DLMO) was evaluated in four patients but was missed in one. The estimated phase angle from DLMO to sleep onset ranged from 5.25 to 9 hours. All six patients who attempted timed melatonin and bright light therapy were able to entrain their sleep-wake schedules. Entrainment occurred at a late circadian phase, possibly related to the late timing of melatonin administration, though the patients often preferred late sleep times. Most did not continue treatment and continued to have a non-24-hour sleep-wake pattern. CONCLUSIONS: N24SWD is a chronic debilitating disorder that is often overlooked in sighted people and can be challenging to diagnose and treat. Tools to assess circadian pattern and timing can be effectively applied to aid the diagnosis. The progressive delay of the circadian rhythm poses a challenge for determining the most effective timing for melatonin and bright light therapies. Furthermore, once the circadian sleep-wake rhythm is entrained, long-term effectiveness is limited because of the behavioral and environmental structure that is required to maintain stable entrainment.

Periodontitis and Sleep Disordered Breathing in the Hispanic Community Health Study/Study of Latinos.

STUDY OBJECTIVES: To investigate the association between sleep disordered breathing (SDB) and severe chronic periodontitis. DESIGN: Cross-sectional data analysis from the Hispanic Community Health Study/Study of Latinos. SETTING: Community-based setting with probability sampling from four urban US communities. PARTICIPANTS: 12,469 adults aged 18-74 y. INTERVENTIONS: None. MEASUREMENTS AND RESULTS: Severe chronic periodontitis was defined using the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention/American Academy of Periodontology case classification based on full-mouth periodontal assessments performed by calibrated dentists. SDB was evaluated in standardized home sleep tests, and defined as the number of apnea plus hypopnea events associated with ≥ 3% desaturation, per hour of estimated sleep. SDB was quantified using categories of the apnea-hypopnea index (AHI): 0.0 events (nonapneic); 0.1-4.9 (subclinical); 5.0-14.9 (mild); and ≥ 15 (moderate/severe). Covariates were demographic characteristics and established periodontitis risk factors. C-reactive protein was a potential explanatory variable. Using survey estimation, multivariable binary logistic regression estimated odds ratios (OR) and 95% confidence limits (CL). Following adjustment for confounding, the SDB and periodontitis relationship remained statistically significant, but was attenuated in strength and no longer dose-response. Compared with the nonapneic referent, adjusted odds of severe periodontitis were 40% higher with subclinical SDB (OR = 1.4, 95% CL: 1.0, 1.9), 60% higher with mild SDB (OR = 1.6, 95% CL: 1.1, 2.2) and 50% higher with moderate/severe SDB (OR = 1.5, 95% CL: 1.0, 2.3) demonstrating an independent association between SDB and severe periodontitis. CONCLUSIONS: This study identifies a novel association between mild sleep disordered breathing and periodontitis that was most pronounced in young adults.