Sleep in the premenstrual phase: a self-report study of PMS patients and normal controls

Sleep disturbances commonly occur in the premenstruum in both Premenstrual Syndrome (PMS) patients and in women from the general population. Reports on the Post-Sleep Inventory were obtained from a clinic sample of PMS patients and samples from the general population dichotomized into a non-clinic group with and without premenstrual disturbance on the basis of their scores on the Premenstrual Tension Syndrome Self Rating Scale. The patients reported degrees of disturbance that were consistently higher than either or both the other two groups. PMS patients reported unpleasant dreams, awakenings, failure to wake at the expected time and tiredness in the morning, and heightened mental activity during the night and upon awakening. The three groups could be reliably discriminated on this basis with an overall accuracy of 82%. Sleep disturbances form an important component of premenstrual disturbance and merit specific clinical intervention and more detailed investigation.     

Nocturnal frontal lobe epilepsy in mucopolysaccharidosis

Nocturnal frontal lobe epilepsy (NFLE) is an epileptic syndrome that is primarily characterized by seizures with motor signs occurring almost exclusively during sleep. We describe 2 children with mucopolysaccharidosis (MPS) who were referred for significant sleep disturbance. Long term video-EEG monitoring (LT-VEEGM) demonstrated sleep-related hypermotor seizures consistent with NFLE.     

睡眠呼吸暂停综合征病人的记忆和情绪障碍

目的为探讨睡眠呼吸暂停综合征病人的记忆和情绪改变及其与血气和睡眠结构之间的关系。方法应用中国科学院心理研究所编制的（临床记忆量表）及抑郁、焦虑量表检测25例睡眠呼吸暂停综合征患者的记忆功能和情绪变化。结果睡眠呼吸暂停综合征病人的记忆功能显著差于鼾症病人组，并且存在着明显的情绪障碍。患者的记忆功能与血氧饱和度（SaO2）呈正相关，与睡眠呼吸紊乱指数（AHI）呈负相关；而抑郁症状与快速眼动睡眠（REM）时间里负相关。结论提示睡眠呼吸暂停综合征病人的低氧血症和睡眠结构紊乱是引起记忆功能和情绪障碍的主要原因。     

Sleep problems in adolescence A study of senior high school students in Greece

AbstractObjectives The aim of this study was to evaluate sleep habits and sleep-related problems in high school adolescent students in Greece through the Athens Insomnia Scale and to assess the relation of these problems to demographic and other variables.Methods The Athens Insomnia Scale 5-item version (AIS-5) was administered to 713 adolescent senior high school students in the Greater Athens Area. Data such as age, sex, school records, and time spent per week in school-related and extracurricular activities were collected.Results The sample’s mean sleep duration was 7.5 h, mean bedtime 00.20 a.m. and wake-up time 7.15 a.m. Total sleep time was not affected by gender, but was influenced by time spent in various activities. Sleep complaints were related to delayed sleep, onset latency and insufficient total duration of sleep. Of the respondents, 30% estimated that their sleep onset latency was markedly delayed and 30% reported that their total sleep time was markedly insufficient. Girls complained more than boys, while correlations showed that students with lower academic performance and those in second grade were more likely to have higher AIS-5 scores.Conclusions The results show that the sleep time of high school students is dependent on practical matters such as school schedule and other activities, while sleep complaints are related to female gender, bad school performance as well as to the second grade. The difference between actual sleep time and sleep complaints should be considered when studying the sleep of adolescents.     

Sleep disturbances among nursing home residents

STUDY OBJECTIVES: This study assesses the prevalence and characteristics of sleep disturbances among an entire nursing home population, consisting of 29, mainly demented, long-term patients. DESIGN AND SETTING: Sleep was evaluated for 14 consecutive days using actigraphic measurements and nursing staff observations. No alterations were made in every-day routines or medications during the observation period. MEASUREMENTS AND RESULTS: Actigraphy showed a mean sleep onset latency of one hour and a mean wake after sleep onset of more than two hours, while there was no findings of early morning awakening. Mean sleep efficiency was 75%, and more than 13 hours were spent in bed. 72% of the subjects had sleep efficiency below 85%. Nursing staff reported sleep onset latency of more than 30 minutes in 158 of the 203 analysed days, while early morning awakening was reported in only 12 of 203 days. Actigraphical measurements and nursing staff observations gave similar results. The validity of actigraphy in this population is discussed. CONCLUSION: Sleep disturbances were common among the residents in this nursing home. Sleep onset latency was prolonged, and the patients experienced frequent wake bouts after sleep onset. The diminished ability of sustained sleep may have been influenced by the prolonged time in bed.     

Psychological Disturbances and Folic Acid in Chronic Epileptic Outpatients

The relationship between serum folate level and psychological disturbances was studied in a series of 95 chronic epileptic outpatients. All were nondrinkers. Serum folic acid in all cases and vitamin B12 in 83 cases were determined by radioimmunoassay. Only three factors were significantly related with psychological disturbances: serum levels of folic acid were significantly lower and the mean corpuscular volume of the erythrocytes was significantly higher in disturbed patients, particularly in those with the most severe psychiatric syndromes, and the incidence of disturbances was significantly higher in patients treated with three or more drugs. Conversely, variables such as number or type of seizures, duration of epilepsy, duration of treatment, presence of structural neurological lesions, previous mental retardation, or focal temporal lobe disturbances in the EEG did not show any statistical relationship to the presence of psychological disturbances. No relevant relationship was found between serum vitamin B12 and psychological disturbances.     

Anti-epileptic therapy and behaviour disturbances in children

In order to evaluate the effects on behaviour of some anti-epileptic drugs, we studied 300 children treated with phenobarbital and other drugs; their age ranged from 3.1 months to 15.9 years. The children were divided into two groups; group, A: 197 (116 male and 81 female) children, mean age±SD 5.3±2.8 years, treated with phenobarbital; group B: 103 (66 male and 37 female) children, mean age 6.4±3.1 years, treated with anti-epileptic drugs other than phenobarbital. In all patients hyperactivity, irritability, disturbances of sleep, and drowsiness were investigated. The parents of patients completed a questionnaire with seven items. In group A, 150 (76.1%) children showed one or more behaviour disturbances, while in Group B a smaller number of patients 32 (31%) had such disorders. There was a significant difference between the two groups (P<0.0001). The most frequent disorder was hyperactivity. The results of this study suggest that anti-epileptic drugs, in particular phenobarbital, can cause behaviour disturbances.     

表现为癫痫发作和认知功能障碍的胰岛细胞瘤一例及文献分析

目的 总结胰岛细胞瘤所致癫痫发作及认知功能障碍的临床特点、影像学表现、脑电图及病理特征.方法 分析1例表现为癫痫发作及认知功能障碍的胰岛细胞瘤患者的临床资料,并复习相关文献报道.结果 患者49岁,女性,主要表现为多种类型的癫痫发作及认知功能障碍.发作时测血糖均＜1.7 mmol/L;头MRI检查示胼胝体压部病灶.脑电图检查示左颞枕区中波幅尖波,双侧各程可见长短程高波幅慢波.胸部增强CT检查示胰腺头颈部交界区富血供肿瘤.行肿瘤切除术后病理学诊断为胰岛细胞瘤.术后患者未再出现低血糖及抽搐发作,遗留记忆力减退.结论 临床应高度警惕伴有低血糖的顽固性不典型的癫痫患者是否有胰岛细胞瘤的可能,以尽早诊断及治疗,改善预后.     

Relationship between nocturnal urinary frequency and sleep disturbances in aged men

Abstract The relationship between nocturnal urinary frequency and sleep disturbances is investigated in aged men in 12 rural towns in Kyoto and Shiga Prefectures. The subjects were 178 men who did not have diseases or symptoms that were likely to affect urinary condition or sleep. There were no significant differences in sleep disturbances, except sleep maintenance, between the normal group (nocturnal urinary frequency below twice per night) and the abnormal group (nocturnal urinary frequency twice or more per night). In healthy aged men, nocturnal urinary frequency only caused disturbance in sleep maintenance, but did not cause any other sleep disturbance.