Circadian preference and stroke characteristics: A descriptive study.

There is evidence that circadian misalignment is linked with an increased risk of stroke and that circadian preference is linked with rehabilitation outcomes after stroke. Circadian preferences refer to preferences based on individuals' characteristics in respect of the timing of physiological functions that are typically assessed by self-report questionnaires. This study set out to explore this relationship by examining whether there was an association between circadian preference and stroke characteristics in a sample of stroke outpatients, considering the time of stroke onset, the topography of the stroke and the resulting disability. We also examined whether sleep complaints (snoring, insomnia, sleep apnea) were associated with circadian preferences (i.e., morning-, evening-, and intermediate-types). We also compared circadian preferences and comorbidities in this sample, matched by age and sex, with those of healthy controls who took part in an epidemiological study (EPISONO) comprising a representative sample of the population of the city of São Paulo, Brazil. Most of our sample in both groups were morning-type, and in the stroke group, ischemic stroke was the most common type. There was an increased risk for sleep apnea among evening-types, and a higher prevalence of diabetes in the evening- and intermediate-types. We found no association between circadian preference and the time of stroke onset, or with wake-up stroke. We found a low prevalence of evening-type participants in our sample of controls (2.9%) and in the stroke group (1.7%). This investigation showed a similar circadian preference (morning-types) in stroke outpatients and the general population.

Myofunctional therapy improves adherence to continuous positive airway pressure treatment.

PURPOSE: Few studies have investigated myofunctional therapy in patients with obstructive sleep apnea syndrome (OSAS). The objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of myofunctional therapy on continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) adherence. METHODS: The study was registered at ClinicalTrials.gov (NCT01289405). Male patients with OSAS were randomly divided into four treatment groups: placebo, patients undergoing placebo myofunctional therapy (N = 24); myofunctional therapy, undergoing myofunctional therapy (N = 27); CPAP, undergoing treatment with CPAP (N = 27); and combined, undergoing CPAP therapy and myofunctional therapy (N = 22). All patients underwent evaluations before and after 3 months of treatment evaluation and after 3 weeks of washout. Evaluations included Epworth sleepiness scale (ESS), polysomnography, and myofunctional evaluation. RESULTS: The 100 men had a mean age of 48.1 ± 11.2 years, body mass index of 27.4 ± 4.9 kg/m2, ESS score of 12.7 ± 3.0, and apnea-hypopnea index (AHI) of 30.9 ± 20.6. All treated groups (myofunctional therapy, CPAP, and combined myofunctional therapy with CPAP) showed decreased ESS and snoring, and the myofunctional therapy group maintained this improvement after the "washout" period. AHI reduction occurred in all treated groups and was more significant in CPAP group. The myofunctional therapy and combined groups showed improvement in tongue and soft palate muscle strength when compared with the placebo group. The association of myofunctional therapy to CPAP (combined group) showed an increased adherence to CPAP compared with the CPAP group. CONCLUSIONS: Our results suggest that in patients with OSAS, myofunctional therapy may be considered as an adjuvant treatment and an intervention strategy to support adherence to CPAP.

Polysomnography findings in spinocerebellar ataxia type 6.

Spinocerebellar ataxia type 6 (SCA6) is usually described as a pure ataxia syndrome. However, SCA6 patients may have sleep complaints. In this paper, sleep disorders were investigated in patients with SCA6. Twelve SCA6 patients and 12 subjects matched by gender, age and body mass index (control group) underwent polysomnography and clinical investigation for sleep disorders. SCA6 had a higher frequency of snoring (P = 0.01), a higher index of awakening due to respiratory events (P = 0.003) and central apnea events during sleep (P = 0.024), a longer sleep Stage N1 (P = 0.02) and a lower sleep Stage N3 (P = 0.05) in SCA6 patients than in control subjects. SCA6 patients had a reduction in slow wave sleep and a higher frequency of snoring and respiratory disorders during sleep when compared to the control group.

Effects of exercise training associated with continuous positive airway pressure treatment in patients with obstructive sleep apnea syndrome.

PURPOSE: The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of a 2-month exercise training associated with continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) treatment on the subjective and objective sleep measurements, quality of life, and mood in moderate to severe obstructive sleep apnea syndrome (OSAS) patients. METHODS: Male patients were randomized into two treatment groups: CPAP (n = 19) and CPAP + exercise (n = 13). All patients completed 1 month of sleep hygiene, 2 months of treatment (CPAP or CPAP + exercise), and 1 week of washout (no treatment). Fletcher and Luckett sleep questionnaire, Epworth sleepiness scale, sleep diaries, polysomnography, SF-36 inventory of quality of life, Profile of Mood States (POMS) questionnaire, neck circumference, and body composition were evaluated. CPAP + exercise group also underwent cardiopulmonary exercise test before and after treatment. RESULTS: Both treatments were effective in improving subjective sleepiness but CPAP + exercise treatment was more effective in maintaining this improvement after washout. No significant differences were found in most of the sleep parameters studied in both groups. CPAP + exercise group showed lower values of tension and fatigue on POMS and higher values of physical functioning, general health perception, and vitality on SF-36 after treatment. CONCLUSIONS: A 2-month exercise training associated with CPAP treatment for OSAS patients has a positive impact on subjective daytime sleepiness, quality of life (physical functioning and general health perception), and mood state (tension and fatigue).

Continuous positive airway pressure therapy improves hypoadiponectinemia in severe obese men with obstructive sleep apnea without changes in insulin resistance.

BACKGROUND: Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is associated with several conditions that could facilitate the onset of cardiovascular and metabolic dysfunctions. Continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) therapy has been shown to improve cardiovascular morbidity and mortality related to OSA, but the mechanisms underlying this association are not fully understood. OBJECTIVE: The aim of the present study was to evaluate whether sleep apnea contributes to insulin resistance and inflammatory marker alterations and to evaluate the benefits of nasal CPAP therapy in severe obese patients with OSA. METHODS: Plasma inflammatory cytokines and the homeostasis model assessment of insulin resistance index (HOMA-IR, Insulin Sensitivity Index [ISI]) were measured in severe obese male with OSA (n = 16) and compared with body mass index (BMI)-matched male controls without OSA (n = 13). Seven patients with severe sleep apnea (apnea-hypopnea index >30 events/h) were reevaluated after 3 months of nasal CPAP therapy. RESULTS: OSA patients had a significantly lower adiponectin levels than obese controls (8.7 +/- 1.18 ng/mL vs. 15.0 +/- 2.55 ng/mL, P = 0.025). HOMA-IR, ISI, tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha, C-reactive protein (CRP), and interleukin-6 (IL-6) levels were not different between groups. Although insulin resistance index and BMI values did not change after 3 months of nCPAP therapy, adiponectin levels increased (P = 0.036) and the levels of TNF-alpha tended to decrease (P = 0.065). Changes in adiponectin levels during nCPAP therapy were positively correlated with an improvement in minimum oxygen saturation (r = 0.773; P = 0.041) and negatively correlated with changes in TNF-alpha levels (r = -0.885; P = 0.008). CONCLUSIONS: nCPAP therapy reverses hypoadiponectinemia levels present in obese men with OSA, probably through reductions in hypoxia and inflammation activity.

Validation of a portable monitoring system for the diagnosis of obstructive sleep apnea syndrome.

STUDY OBJECTIVE: To evaluate if a portable monitor could accurately measure the apnea-hypopnea index (AHI) in patients with a suspicion of obstructive sleep apnea (OSA). DESIGN: Prospective and randomized. SETTING: Sleep laboratory. PARTICIPANTS: 80 participants: 70 patients with clinical OSA suspicion and 10 subjects without suspicion of OSA. INTERVENTIONS: N/A. MEASUREMENTS AND RESULTS: Three-order randomized evaluations were performed: (1) STD (Stardust II) used at the participants' home (STD home), (2) STD used simultaneously with PSG in the sleep lab (STD+PSG lab), and (3) PSG performed without the STD (PSG lab). Four AHI values were generated and analyzed: (a) STD home; (b) STD from STD+PSG lab; (c) PSG from STD+PSG (named PSG+STD lab); and (d) PSG lab. Two technicians, blinded to study details, performed the analyses of all evaluations. There was a strong correlation between AHI from the STD and PSG recordings for all 4 AHI values (all correlations above 0.87). Sensitivity, specificity, and positive and negative predictive values at AHI cut-off values of 5, 15, and 30 events/hour were calculated. AHI values from the PSG lab and PSG+STD lab were compared to STD home and STD+PSG lab and showed the best results when STD and PSG were performed simultaneously. In all analyses, the area under ROC curve was at least 0.90. With multiple comparisons, diagnostic agreement was between 91% and 75%. The Bland Altman analyses showed strong agreement between AHI values from the STD and PSG recordings, especially when comparing the AHI from simultaneous STD and PSG recordings. CONCLUSION: These data suggest that the STD is accurate in confirming the diagnosis of OSA where there is a suspicion of the disorder. Better agreement occurred during simultaneous recordings.

Sleep perception in insomniacs, sleep-disordered breathing patients, and healthy volunteers--an important biologic parameter of sleep.

BACKGROUND: The mechanisms involved in sleep perception are not widely known. Therefore, we believe that investigating this phenomenon is the best way to understand some of the mechanisms involved in several sleep disturbances, particularly insomnias. OBJECTIVE: The objective of our study was to evaluate sleep perception in insomniacs, sleep-disordered breathing (SDB) patients, and healthy volunteers. Our hypothesis was that insomniacs have less sleep perception than healthy individuals and patients with sleep respiratory disorders. METHODS: We studied 199 individuals who were divided into the following four groups: (1) insomnia group; (2) patients with sleep-disordered breathing; (3) patients with insomnia complaints and an associated sleep respiratory disorder; and (4) healthy individuals with no sleep complaints. All patients were subjected to polysomnography (PSG) followed by a questionnaire addressing their perception about the previous night's sleep. In addition to analysis of all sleep parameters, we determined sleep perception as the percentage of the ratio between total sleep time perceived by the patient and the total sleep time obtained by PSG. RESULTS: Sleep perception was significantly lower in insomnia patients than in sleep-disordered breathing patients or the normal group. In addition, no significant differences across the four groups were observed in sleep efficiency and total sleep time. CONCLUSIONS: The results showed that the reported sleep perception of insomniacs is lower than that of sleep-disordered breathing patients or normal individuals. We believe that sleep perception is as important as other commonly measured parameters, such as sleep efficiency.

An orientation session improves objective sleep quality and mask acceptance during positive airway pressure titration.

The aim of this study was to determine whether an orientation session led by a polysomnography (PSG) technician during the night of positive airway pressure (PAP) titration can improve objective sleep quality and acceptance of nasal mask in patients referred to a sleep laboratory. Consecutive patients (n = 1,481), referred for PAP titration during PSG, were retrospectively evaluated. Patients were distributed in two groups: the control group, patients referred for PAP titration (n = 699) who did not undertake an orientation session led by a PSG technician, and the oriented group, patients referred to PAP titration (n = 782) who followed the orientation session. Demographic data were similar (p > 0.05) between groups (control vs oriented) for: male/female proportion (76:24 vs 75:25%), age (mean +/- SD; 53 +/- 12 vs 52 +/- 12 years), Epworth Sleepiness Scale score (12 +/- 6 vs 12 +/- 6), and body mass index (31 +/- 6 vs 31 +/- 6 kg/m(2)). PSG data were different (p < 0.05) between the groups for: total sleep time (312 +/- 81 vs 326 +/- 85 min), sleep efficiency (74 +/- 17 vs 77 +/- 14%), sleep latency (22 +/- 24 vs 18 +/- 29 min), S1 (8 +/- 8 vs 6 +/- 5%), S3 4 (19 +/- 11 vs 21 +/- 13%), rapid eye movement sleep (17 +/- 9 vs 18 +/- 9%), and wake after sleep onset (106 +/- 68 vs 93 +/- 58 min). After the orientation session, the number of patients who did not accept nasal mask during PSG recording was higher in the control group than the oriented group (80 vs 44; p = 0.001). An orientation session led by a PSG technician can improve objective sleep quality and nasal mask acceptance during the night of PAP titration. Such an addition to PAP titration could be an efficient intervention to improve PAP compliance.