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Nocturnal vestibular stimulation using a rocking bed improves a severe sleep disorder in a patient with mitochondrial disease.
Breuss, Alexander; Strasser, Marco; Nuoffer, Jean-Marc; Klein, Andrea; Perret-Hoigné, Eveline; Felder, Christine; Stauffer, Ruth; Wolf, Peter; Riener, Robert; Gautschi, Matthias.
Affiliation
  • Breuss A; ETH Zurich, Sensory-Motor Systems Lab, Institute of Robotics and Intelligent Systems, Zurich, Switzerland.
  • Strasser M; Department of Paediatrics, Inselspital, Bern University Hospital, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland.
  • Nuoffer JM; Division of Paediatric Endocrinology, Diabetology and Metabolism, Department of Paediatrics, and Institute of Clinical Chemistry, Inselspital, Bern University Hospital, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland.
  • Klein A; Division of Neuropediatrics, Inselspital, Bern University Hospital, Bern, Switzerland.
  • Perret-Hoigné E; Division of Neuropediatrics, Inselspital, Bern University Hospital, Bern, Switzerland.
  • Felder C; Division of Neuropediatrics, Inselspital, Bern University Hospital, Bern, Switzerland.
  • Stauffer R; Institute for Physiotherapy, Inselspital, Bern University Hospital, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland.
  • Wolf P; ETH Zurich, Sensory-Motor Systems Lab, Institute of Robotics and Intelligent Systems, Zurich, Switzerland.
  • Riener R; ETH Zurich, Sensory-Motor Systems Lab, Institute of Robotics and Intelligent Systems, Zurich, Switzerland.
  • Gautschi M; Spinal Cord Injury Center, University Hospital Balgrist, Zurich, Switzerland.
J Sleep Res ; : e14153, 2024 Mar 18.
Article in En | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-38499951
ABSTRACT
Mitochondrial diseases are rare genetic disorders often accompanied by severe sleep disorders. We present the case of a 12-year-old boy diagnosed with a severe primary mitochondrial disease, exhibiting ataxia, spasticity, progressive external ophthalmoplegia, cardiomyopathy and severely disrupted sleep, but no cognitive impairment. Interestingly, his parents reported improved sleep during night train rides. Based on this observation, we installed a rocking bed in the patient's bedroom and performed different interventions, including immersive multimodal vestibular, kinesthetic and auditory stimuli, reminiscent of the sensory experiences encountered during train rides. Over a 5-month period, we conducted four 2-week nocturnal interventions, separated by 1-week washout phases, to determine the subjectively best-perceived stimulation parameters, followed by a final 4-week intervention using the optimal parameters. We assessed sleep duration and quality using the Mini Sleep Questionnaire, monitored pulse rate changes and used videography to document nocturnal interactions between the patient and caregivers. Patient-reported outcome measures, clinical examinations and personal outcomes of specific interests were used to document daytime sleepiness, restlessness, anxiety, fatigue, cognitive performance and physical posture. In the final 4-week intervention, sleep duration increased by 25%, required caregiver interactions reduced by 75%, and caregiving time decreased by 40%. Subjective fatigue, assessed by the Checklist Individual Strength, decreased by 40%, falling below the threshold of severe fatigue. Our study suggests that rocking beds could provide a promising treatment regime for selected patients with persistent severe sleep disorders. Further research is required to validate these findings in larger patient populations with sleep disorders and other conditions.
Key words

Full text: 1 Collection: 01-internacional Database: MEDLINE Language: En Journal: J Sleep Res Journal subject: PSICOFISIOLOGIA Year: 2024 Type: Article Affiliation country: Switzerland

Full text: 1 Collection: 01-internacional Database: MEDLINE Language: En Journal: J Sleep Res Journal subject: PSICOFISIOLOGIA Year: 2024 Type: Article Affiliation country: Switzerland