Choroid plexus calcifications are not associated with putative markers of glymphatic dysfunction: A population study in middle-aged and older adults.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Recent studies have suggested an association between dysfunction of the choroid plexus and the glymphatic system. However, information is inconclusive. Following a population-based study design, we aimed to assess the association between choroid plexus calcifications (CPCs)-as a surrogate of choroid plexus dysfunction-and severity and progression of putative markers of glymphatic dysfunction, including white matter hyperintensities (WMH) of presumed vascular origin and abnormally enlarged basal ganglia perivascular spaces (BG-PVS). METHODS: This study recruited community-dwellers aged ≥40 years living in neighboring Ecuadorian villages. Participants who had baseline head CTs and brain MRIs were included in cross-sectional analyses and those who additional had follow-up MRIs (after a mean of 6.4 ± 1.5 years) were included in longitudinal analyses. Logistic and Poisson regression models, adjusted for demographics and cardiovascular risk factors, were fitted to assess associations between CPCs and WMH and enlarged BG-PVS severity and progression. RESULTS: A total of 590 individuals were included in the cross-sectional component of the study, and 215 in the longitudinal component. At baseline, 25% of participants had moderate-to-severe WMH and 27% had abnormally enlarged BG-PVS. At follow-up, 36% and 20% of participants had WMH and enlarged BG-PVS progression, respectively. Logistic regression models showed no significant differences between CPCs volumes stratified in quartiles and severity of WMH and enlarged BG-PVS. Poisson regression models showed no association between the exposure and WMH and enlarged BG-PVS progression. Baseline age remained significant in these models. CONCLUSIONS: Choroid plexus calcifications are not associated with putative markers of glymphatic system dysfunction.

Impact on health outcomes associated with changing the clock 1 hour during fall and spring transitions in the Southern Hemisphere.

STUDY OBJECTIVES: Changing the clocks seasonally is potentially harmful because it interferes with normal daytime activities. Studies aimed at quantifying this association are scant. The objective of this study was to determine the effects of 1 year's worth of changing the clocks (fall and spring transitions) on healthy young men located in the Southern Hemisphere in South America. METHODS: We performed an observational prospective study. Thirty healthy male university students were evaluated from 2 weeks before to 2 weeks after both the fall and spring transitions. We administered an overall sleep questionnaire, assessed quality of life, recorded 7-day wrist actigraphy, and had participants perform a psychomotor vigilance task. We defined the 1-hour clock change as the primary exposure and the change in psychomotor vigilance task lapses of 500 milliseconds or more in response time as our primary outcome. Changes were evaluated by the Wilcoxon rank test (significance: P < .05). RESULTS: After the fall transition, we found a significant worsening in psychomotor vigilance task performance (median [interquartile range], 9.9 [6.0-14.3] lapses of ≥ 500 milliseconds in response time at baseline vs 16.8 [8.2-28.0] after transition; P < .002). Additionally, we found a median loss of about 1 hour of total sleep time and time in bed after the fall transition. Furthermore, participants presented with insomnia. Performance on the psychomotor vigilance task was also affected after the spring transition (16.7 [10-23] vs 23 [12.2-32.2]; P < .001). CONCLUSIONS: A decrease in performance in neurocognitive tests was found after both time transitions. The transition led to insomnia and a significant worsening of sleep variables. CITATION: Labarca G, Henriquez-Beltrán M, Sanhueza R, et al. Impact on health outcomes associated with changing the clock 1 hour during fall and spring transitions in the Southern Hemisphere. J Clin Sleep Med. 2024;20(6):887-893.

Lack Of Association Between The Friedman's Tongue Position Type IV And Obstructive Sleep Apnea In Older Adults Of Amerindian Ancestry / Ausencia De Asociación Entre La Posición De La Lengua Tipo IV De Friedman Y Apnea Obstructiva De Sueño En Adultos Mayores Con Ancestro Amerindio

ABSTRACT Background: The burden of obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) in rural settings is unknown. In these regions, devices needed for OSA diagnosis are not available, and mass screening with field instruments may be complicated due to cross-cultural factors and illiteracy. The association between the Friedman's tongue position (FTP) and OSA has been assessed in people from different ethnic groups but not in Amerindians. Objective: We aimed to assess whether a FTP type IV is associated with OSA severity and with the apnea-hypopnea index (AHI) in community-dwelling older adults of Amerindian ancestry living in rural Ecuador. Methods: A total of 201 Atahualpa residents aged ≥60 years, who underwent tongue position assessment, brain MRI, and polysomnography were included. After adjusting for relevant confounders, ordinal logistic regression models were fitted to assess the association between the presence of a FTP type IV and OSA categories (none, mild, and moderate-to-severe), and generalized linear models with a Gaussian link were fitted to assess the association between the presence of a FTP type IV and the continuous AHI. Results: A FTP type IV was identified in 153 (76%) individuals, the mean AHI per hour was 11.9 ± 12.4, and 49 (24%) individuals had moderate-to-severe OSA, 88 (44%) had mild OSA, and the remaining 64 (32%) had no OSA. Fully-adjusted generalized linear models showed no independent association between the investigated exposure and the AHI (β: 0.09; 95% C.I.: -1.56 - 1.76; p=0.909). Likewise, ordinal logistic regression models showed no independent association between the investigated exposure and categories of OSA (β: 0.42; 95% C.I.: -0.47 - 1.31; p=0.357). Conclusion: A FTP type IV is not associated with the AHI or the severity of OSA in this population of Amerindians. This lack of association could be related to phenotypic characteristics of people from this ethnic group (mostly their elliptic hard palate).

RESUMEN Antecedentes: Se desconoce la prevalencia de la apnea obstructiva del sueño (AOS) en entornos rurales. En esas regiones, los equipos necesarios para el diagnóstico de AOS no están disponibles, y la detección de AOS con instrumentos de campo puede ser complicada debido a factores interculturales y analfabetismo. La asociación entre la posición de la lengua de Friedman (FTP) y AOS se ha evaluado en personas de diferentes grupos étnicos, pero no en Amerindios. Objetivo: Evaluar si al tipo IV de FTP está asociado con la severidad de la AOS y con el índice de apnea-hipopnea (IAH) en adultos mayores que viven en una comunidad de ascendencia Amerindia en zonas rurales de Ecuador. Métodos: Se incluyeron 201 residentes de Atahualpa de edad ≥60 años, que fueron sometidos a evaluación de la posición de la lengua, resonancia magnética cerebral y polisomnografía. Después de ajustar por factores de confusión relevantes, modelos de regresión logística ordinal evaluaron la probable asociación entre la presencia de un FTP tipo IV y las categorías AOS (ninguna, leve y moderada a grave), y se ajustaron modelos lineales generalizados con un enlace gaussiano para evaluar la asociación entre la presencia de un FTP tipo IV y el IAH continuo. Resultados: Se identificó un tipo IV de FTP en 153 (76%) individuos, el IAH promedio por hora fue de 11.9 ± 12.4 y 49 (24%) individuos tenían AOS de moderada a grave, 88 (44%) tenían AOS leve. y los 64 restantes (32%) no tenían AOS. Los modelos lineales generalizados, ajustados por confusores, no mostraron una asociación independiente entre la exposición investigada y el IAH (β: 0.09; 95% C.I.: -1.56 - 1.76; p = 0.909). Del mismo modo, los modelos de regresión logística ordinal no mostraron una asociación independiente entre la exposición investigada y las categorías de AOS (β: 0,42; 95% C.I.: -0,47 - 1.31; p = 0,357). Conclusión: El tipo IV de FTP no está asociado con el IAH o la gravedad de la AOS en esta población de Amerindios. Esta falta de asociación podría estar relacionada con las características fenotípicas de las personas de este grupo étnico (principalmente su paladar óseo de tipo elíptico).