Dysfunctional beliefs and attitudes about sleep are associated with regional homogeneity of left inferior occipital gyrus in primary insomnia patients: A preliminary resting state functional magnetic resonance imaging study

BackgroundThe neural mechanisms of sleep beliefs and attitudes in primary insomnia (PI) patients at resting state remain unclear. The aim of this study was to investigate the features of regional homogeneity (ReHo) in PI using resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (rsfMRI).MethodsThirty-two PI patients and 34 normal controls (NC) underwent rsfMRI using a 3 T scanner at Tongde Hospital of Zhejiang Province. Participants were assessed with the Dysfunctional Beliefs and Attitudes about Sleep scale (DBAS-16) and Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI). Statistical analyses were performed to determine the regions in which ReHo differed between the two groups. Correlation analyses were performed between the ReHo index of each of these regions and DBAS-16 in PI patients.ResultsPI patients showed increased ReHo values in the right superior frontal gyrus, and decreased ReHo values in the left cerebellar gyrus, left inferior occipital gyrus (IOG) and left amygdala compared with those of NC. ReHo values in the left IOG were negatively correlated with total DBAS-16 scores, and scores for “consequences of insomnia” and“worry/helplessness about sleep”in PI patients.ConclusionsThese results suggest that ReHo alterations in the left IOG may play an important role in the dysfunctional beliefs and attitudes about sleep in PI.     

Relationship between maladaptive cognitions about sleep and recovery in patients with borderline personality disorder

Borderline personality disorder (BPD) has been associated with maladaptive cognitive processes including dysfunctional attitudes and a negative attribution style. Comorbid insomnia affects the course of multiple psychiatric disorders, and has been associated with the absence of recovery from BPD. Because dysfunctional beliefs and attitudes are common among patients with insomnia, the purpose of this study was to evaluate the association between maladaptive sleep-related cognitions and recovery status (symptomatic remission plus good concurrent psychosocial functioning) in patients with BPD. Two hundred and twenty three BPD patients participating in the McLean Study of Adult Development (MSAD) were administered the Dysfunctional Beliefs and Attitudes about Sleep questionnaire (DBAS-16) as part of the 16-year follow-up wave. Maladaptive sleep cognitions were compared between recovered (n=105) and non-recovered (n=118) BPD participants, in analyses that adjusted for age, sex, depression, anxiety, and primary sleep disorders. Results demonstrated that non-recovered BPD patients had significantly more severe maladaptive sleep-related cognitions as measured by the overall DBAS-16 score. These results demonstrate an association between dysfunctional beliefs and attitudes about sleep and recovery status among BPD patients. Further research is warranted to evaluate treatments targeted towards maladaptive sleep-related cognitions, and their subsequent effects on the course of BPD.     

Subjective versus objective sleep outcomes in older adults with and without uncoupled sleep following online cognitive behavioural therapy for insomnia

Background

Uncoupled sleep is a phenomenon characterised by a disconnect between sleep pattern and sleep complaint. This study examined the impact of uncoupled sleep on dysfunctional sleep beliefs and objective and subjective sleep outcomes in community-dwelling older adults following digitally delivered Cognitive Behavioural Therapy for Insomnia (CBT-I) to assess how these groups respond to CBT-I.

Methods

Objective sleep was measured using wrist actigraphy, subjective sleep quality via sleep diaries and the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI). Dysfunctional sleep beliefs were assessed by the Dysfunctional Beliefs and Attitudes about Sleep scale (DBAS-16). All measurements were taken prior to and following a 4-week online CBT-I program. Linear mixed model and generalised linear mixed model analyses were conducted to examine objective and subjective sleep onset latency, total sleep time, wake after sleep onset and number of awakenings as well as PSQI and DBAS-16 scores, respectively.

Results

Out of 80 enrolled participants, 62 participants (55 females, 89%; 16 complaining good sleepers, 26 complaining poor sleepers, 11 non-complaining good sleepers, and nine non-complaining poor sleepers) completed the study. CBT-I reduced dysfunctional sleep beliefs across all sleeper classifications. Objective and self-reported changes in sleep parameters were demonstrated in complaining poor sleepers without uncoupled sleep. Complaining good sleepers with uncoupled sleep only reported a decrease in the number of subjective sleep awakenings. There were no changes in sleep outcomes in non-complaining good and non-complaining poor sleepers.

Conclusions

Online CBT-I was effective in improving the sleep outcomes of individuals who had both subjective and objective poor sleep. However, as the online CBT-I reduced dysfunctional sleep beliefs in all sleep groups, further examination of dysfunctional sleep beliefs and whether they mediate the outcomes of digital CBT-I in older adults will need to be conducted.     

Psychotic-like experiences in patients with insomnia or sleep apnea: associations with sleep parameters

ObjectivesThere are strong links between sleep and psychotic-like experiences (PLE), such as magical ideations or persecutory ideas. Sleep disturbances seem to play an important role in the occurrence of such symptoms, but studies investigating PLE in patients with sleep disorders are lacking.MethodsWe studied 24 subjects with insomnia disorder (41 ± 13 years) and 47 participants with obstructive sleep apnea (OSA, 47 ± 11 years) in the sleep laboratory and 33 healthy controls. Sleep in patients with sleep disorders was recorded and scored according to standard criteria of the American Academy of Sleep Medicine. PLE were measured by the Magical Ideation Scale (MIS, short form with 10 items) and by the Peters et al., Delusions Inventory (PDI, 21 items). Additionally, cognitive tests and further psychological self-rating tests such as the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI) and the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) were administered.ResultsPatients with insomnia had significantly higher scores of magical and delusional ideations compared to healthy controls. Sleep apnea patients showed a tendency of a higher score of delusional beliefs in comparison to controls. Magical ideations in insomnia subjects were significantly negatively correlated with the number of sleep spindles. In a subgroup of insomnia patients without antidepressants, delusional beliefs were negatively associated with rapid eye movement (REM)-sleep.ConclusionsAs there are indications that diminutions of sleep spindles are a biomarker for dysfunctional thalamo-cortical circuits underlying the neuropathology of psychosis, we conclude that there might be a sub-group of insomnia patients with fewer sleep spindles which is more vulnerable to developing a psychotic disorder in the future.     

Long-term study of the sleep of insomnia patients with sleep state misperception and other insomnia patients.

OBJECTIVE: The objectives were 1) to investigate differences among patients with subjective insomnia (sleep state misperception), patients with objective findings of insomnia, and normal volunteers and 2) to assess the consistency of the sleep findings during a 2-month period. METHOD: Twenty-one subjects were studied. Subjects with sleep state misperception (N = 7) had insomnia complaints for more than 1 year, no objective sleep disturbance, and sleep efficiency of 90% or greater (on the diagnostic screening sleep recording), while subjectively estimating that sleep time was less than 6.5 hours. Subjects with objective insomnia (N = 7) met the same subjective criteria, but objectively sleep efficiency was 85% or less. Normal subjects (N = 7) had no insomnia complaints and objective sleep efficiency of 90% or greater. All subjects were recorded on 2 consecutive nights three times with a 3-week period between each pair of nights (6 standard all-night polysomnographic sessions of 8 hours). A subjective sleep questionnaire was administered after each sleep recording night. RESULTS: Sleep stage variables (percentages) were similar between the two insomnia groups, and both were different from the normal subjects. Sleep continuity variables were disturbed in the objective insomnia group, but they were similar in the sleep state misperception and normal groups. Both insomnia groups rated their sleep as inadequate on the questionnaires and differed from the normal subjects. The distinct sleep patterns of each of the three groups did not vary over the 6 nights of assessment. CONCLUSIONS: Sleep state misperception may be a prodromic or transitional state of sleep dysfunction between normal sleep and the sleep pattern of objective insomnia.     

Frequency of insomnia report in patients with obstructive sleep apnoea hypopnea syndrome (OSAHS)

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Insomnia and Obstructive Sleep Apnoea Hypopnea Syndrome (OSAHS) are the two most common sleep disorders, and both have significant associated health costs. Despite this, relatively little is known about the prevalence or impact of insomnia in those with OSAHS, although a recent study suggested there may be substantial comorbidity between these disorders [Chest 120 (2001) 1923-9]. The primary aim of this study was to further explore the prevalence of insomnia in OSAHS. A secondary aim was to assess the effect of factors that may impact on both conditions, including mood and sleep-beliefs. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Consecutive patients referred to an accredited Sleep Investigations Unit [n = 105] completed a brief standardized battery of validated questionnaires assessing sleep-related variables and mood. RESULTS: Results showed a high rate of prevalence of clinical insomnia in this OSAHS population, and a strong positive correlation between OSAHS and insomnia symptom severity. Further, OSAHS patients with comorbid insomnia had increased levels of depression, anxiety and stress compared to patients with OSAHS-only, and both patient groups reported similar and significant levels of dysfunctional beliefs about sleep. Findings in relation to habitual sleep, assessed using subjective (diary) and objective criteria (polysomnogram), were mixed but generally showed greater sleep disturbance among those with OSAHS-insomnia compared to those with OSAHS-only. CONCLUSIONS: Overall these findings suggest that comorbidity of insomnia in OSAHS patients may lead to increased OSAHS severity and that patients with both conditions may experience more symptoms relating to depression, anxiety and stress. These findings underscore the need for insomnia assessment and management services, even in clinics that primarily service patients with OSAHS.     

Comparative effects of mirtazapine and fluoxetine on sleep physiology measures in patients with major depression and insomnia

BACKGROUND: Sleep complaints are common in patients with major depressive disorder (MDD). Both MDD and antidepressant drugs characteristically alter objective sleep measures. This study compares the effects of mirtazapine and fluoxetine on sleep continuity measures in DSM-IV MDD patients with insomnia. METHOD: Patients (N = 19) received initial baseline polysomnography evaluations over 2 consecutive nights. Subjects were randomly assigned to either fluoxetine (20-40 mg/day) or mirtazapine (15-45 mg/day) treatment for an 8-week, double-blind, double-dummy treatment trial. Single-night polysomnograms were conducted at weeks 1, 2, and 8, with depression ratings assessed at baseline and weeks 1, 2, 3, 4, 6, and 8. Statistical analysis was performed by repeated-measures analysis of variance followed by Dunnet's post hoc analyses. RESULTS: Patients receiving mirtazapine (N = 8) had significant improvement in objective sleep physiology measures at 8 weeks. Improvements in sleep latency, sleep efficiency, and wake after sleep onset were significant after only 2 weeks of mirtazapine treatment. No significant changes in sleep continuity measures were observed in the fluoxetine group (N = 11). Both groups improved clinically in mood and subjective sleep measures from baseline, with no differences between groups. CONCLUSION: These data demonstrate the differential effects of mirtazapine and fluoxetine, with significant improvement in favor of mirtazapine, on objective sleep parameters in MDD patients with insomnia.     

Psychological and behavioral factors in patients with comorbid obstructive sleep apnea and insomnia

Objective

Insomnia symptoms in patients with obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) are commonly assumed to be secondary to respiratory disturbances. Previous studies, however, showed that insomnia might persist after treatment for OSA. Higher levels of emotional disturbances were reported in OSA patients with insomnia than those without insomnia, which suggests that psychological factors may play an important role for their sleep difficulties. This study aimed to further explore sleep-related psychological/behavioral factors that may contribute to insomnia in OSA patients.

Methods

This study included 88 men, of which 33 had OSA (OSA group); 29, primary insomnia; (Insomnia group); and 26, both OSA and insomnia (OSA+Insomnia group). All subjects underwent polysomnography (PSG) overnight and completed a package of questionnaires, including the Insomnia Severity Index (ISI), Dysfunctional Beliefs and Attitudes about Sleep Scale (DBAS), Sleep Hygiene Practice Scale (SHPS), Beck Anxiety Inventory (BAI), Beck Depression Inventory (BDI), and Pre-Sleep Arousal Scale (PSAS).

Results

The OSA+Insomnia and Insomnia groups had significantly more dysfunctional sleep beliefs, more arousal-inducing sleep-related behaviors, and higher levels of pre-sleep arousal, anxiety, and depression than did the OSA group. The respiratory indices and arousal index were higher for OSA and OSA+Insomnia groups than for the Insomnia group.

Conclusion

Although OSA patients with insomnia showed a similar degree of respiratory disturbances as patients with OSA only, their psychological and behavioral profiles resembled the features of primary insomnia patients. The results support the concept of comorbid insomnia and suggest the importance of evaluating and treating both physiological and psychological factors in these patients.     

Correlates and prognostic relevance of sleep irregularity in inter-episode bipolar disorder

ObjectivesSleep–wake disturbances, such as sleep irregularity, are common in bipolar disorder. Early studies suggest that sleep irregularity is associated with mood symptoms in bipolar disorder, but little research has been conducted to identify other correlates of sleep irregularity. We investigated the relationship between sleep irregularity and sleep quality, social rhythms, eveningness, sleep-related cognitions and behaviors, and past and future mood episodes in 84 patients with inter-episode bipolar I or II disorder.MethodsThis is a retrospective and prospective, naturalistic follow-up study. The Expanded Consensus Sleep Diary, Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI), Social Rhythm Metric (SRM-II-5), Composite Scale of Morningness (CSM), Dysfunctional Beliefs and Attitudes About Sleep Scale (DBAS-16), and Sleep Hygiene Practice Scale (SHPS) were administered. The Square Successive Difference (SSD), derived from a week-long sleep diary, was used as an index of sleep irregularity. Multilevel modeling analysis, which adjusts for biases in parameter estimates, was used to minimize the impact of missing data. Bonferroni correction was performed to account for multiple testing.ResultsHigher SSD scores of sleep diary variables were significantly associated with higher PSQI, SRM-II-5, DBAS-16, and SHPS scores. Irregularity in total sleep time was related to more depressive episodes in the past 5 years (p = .002), while irregularity in wake after sleep onset predicted the onset of depressive episodes over the next 2 years (p = .002).ConclusionSleep irregularity was associated with poor sleep quality, irregular social rhythms, dysfunctional sleep-related cognitions and behaviors, and greater number of depressive episodes in bipolar disorder.     

Visual declarative memory is associated with non-rapid eye movement sleep and sleep cycles in patients with chronic non-restorative sleep

OBJECTIVE: Sleep contributes to processes of memory, but many questions still remain open. The aim of this study was to test the role of different aspects of sleep for memory performance in a group of patients with chronic non-restorative sleep. METHODS: Forty-two consecutive patients (mean age 40.3 years; 31 women) with non-restorative sleep were included. All subjects underwent polysomnography for diagnostic reasons and obtained the following diagnoses (International Classification of Sleep Disorders, ICSD): psychophysiological or idiopathic insomnia (N=18), paradoxical insomnia (N=13), mild hypersomnia (N=6), and dysthymic disorder (N=5). Patients with sleep-related breathing disorders or restless legs were not included. Prior to polysomnography on the second night and the next morning, neuropsychological tests were performed. Declarative memory was tested by the Rey-Osterrieth Complex Figure Test and a paired associative word list. Procedural learning was assessed by a mirror-tracing skill. RESULTS: Visual declarative memory performance was significantly associated with total sleep time, sleep efficiency, duration of non-rapid eye movement (NREM) sleep and number of NREM-REM sleep cycles, but not with specific measures of REM sleep or slow wave sleep. CONCLUSIONS: Further indications of a role of sleep, and in particular of NREM sleep and sleep organization, for visual declarative memory were found.     

The effects of repeated transcranial direct current stimulation on sleep quality and depression symptoms in patients with major depression and insomnia

ImportanceAlthough several strategies using transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) have been investigated to treat major depressive disorder (MDD), the efficacy of this treatment for patients with MDD who also have insomnia is unclear.ObjectiveTo observe the effects of tDCS on sleep quality and depressive symptoms in patients with MDD who have insomnia.MethodsWe conducted a randomized, double-blinded study involving adults with major depression and insomnia. We randomly assigned patients to either add tDCS or to sham tDCS to their regular treatment. After randomization, we treated a total of 90 patients at the Kangning Hospital, Ningbo, China. We allocated 47 patients to the tDCS group and 43 to the sham tDCS group. The tDCS treatment procedure included 20 sessions of 2-mA stimulation of the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) for 30 min, which was followed by four weekly treatments. The anode and cathode electrodes were placed on the left and right DLPFC, respectively. We recorded the Self-rating Depression Scale (SDS), Self-rating Anxiety Scale (SAS), Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Inventory (PSQI), and Polysomnography (PSG) at Day 1 and Day 28.ResultsCompared with the sham tDCS group, the active tDCS group showed improved total scores of SAS and SDS. PSQI total score and all PSQI sub-divisions, except for “sleep duration and sleep efficiency,” significantly improved after treatment. We also observed that tDCS affected sleep architecture, by increasing total sleep time and improving sleep efficiency through PSG.ConclusionsOur study demonstrated the effect of tDCS on sleep quality and depressive symptoms in patients with MDD and insomnia. These results suggested that tDCS stimulation not only improved symptoms of depression and anxiety but also had a positive effect on sleep quality in patients with MDD. For patients with depression and insomnia, tDCS stimulation could be a good supplement to drugs.     

Dysfunctional sleep beliefs in Parkinson’s disease: Relationships with subjective and objective sleep

Disturbed sleep is common in Parkinson’s disease and has a detrimental impact on functioning and quality of life. While the progression of the disease contributes to the aetiology of sleep problems in Parkinson’s disease, it is unknown whether an individual’s beliefs and attitudes about sleep play a role. In this study we sought to investigate whether dysfunctional beliefs and attitudes about sleep could be related to subjective and objective measures of sleep disturbance in Parkinson’s disease. Ninety-three patients with Parkinson’s disease completed the Dysfunctional Beliefs and Attitudes about Sleep 16 item questionnaire, which comprises four domains: Expectations, Worry/Helplessness, Consequences and Medication. Patients also completed the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index questionnaire and Beck Depression Inventory-II. Patients wore actigraphy watches and completed sleep diaries for 2 consecutive weeks, recording measures of sleep disturbance including Sleep Onset and Offset, Wake After Sleep Onset, Sleep Efficiency, and Wake Bouts per hour. Greater dysfunctional beliefs and attitudes in the domains of Worry/Helplessness and Medication were associated with lower perceived sleep quality and greater depressive symptoms. However, no relationships were found between dysfunctional beliefs and attitudes about sleep and any objective actigraphic measure of sleep disturbance. These findings suggest that beliefs and attitudes about sleep in Parkinson’s disease are associated with mood disturbance, rather than objective measures of sleep. Thus it is possible that interventions targeting mood may lead to more accurate perceptions of sleep and improved quality of life in Parkinson’s disease patients.     

IL-1β and BDNF are associated with improvement in hypersomnia but not insomnia following exercise in major depressive disorder

Given the role of sleep in the development and treatment of major depressive disorder (MDD), it is becoming increasingly clear that elucidation of the biological mechanisms underlying sleep disturbances in MDD is crucial to improve treatment outcomes. Sleep disturbances are varied and can present as insomnia and/or hypersomnia. Though research has examined the biological underpinnings of insomnia in MDD, little is known about the role of biomarkers in hypersomnia associated with MDD. This paper examines biomarkers associated with changes in hypersomnia and insomnia and as predictors of improvements in sleep quality following exercise augmentation in persons with MDD. Subjects with non-remitted MDD were randomized to augmentation with one of two doses of aerobic exercise: 16 kilocalories per kilogram of body weight per week (KKW) or 4 KKW for 12 weeks. The four sleep-related items on the clinician-rated Inventory of Depressive Symptomatology (sleep onset insomnia, mid-nocturnal insomnia, early morning insomnia and hypersomnia) assessed self-reported sleep quality. Inflammatory cytokines (tumor necrosis factor-alpha, interleukin (IL)-1β, IL-6) and brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) were assessed in blood samples collected before and following the 12-week intervention. Reduction in hypersomnia was correlated with reductions in BDNF (ρ=0.26, P=0.029) and IL-1β (ρ=0.37, P=0.002). Changes in these biomarkers were not associated with changes in insomnia; however, lower baseline levels of IL-1β were predictive of greater improvements in insomnia (F=3.87, P=0.050). In conclusion, improvement in hypersomnia is related to reductions in inflammatory markers and BDNF in persons with non-remitted MDD. Distinct biological mechanisms may explain reductions in insomnia.     

Safety behaviors and dysfunctional beliefs about sleep: testing a cognitive model of the maintenance of insomnia

OBJECTIVE: Our aim was to determine if insomnia severity, dysfunctional beliefs about sleep, and depression predicted sleep-related safety behaviors. METHOD: Standard sleep-related measures (such as the Insomnia Severity Index; the Dysfunctional Beliefs About Sleep scale; the Depression, Anxiety, and Stress Scale; and the Sleep-Related Behaviors Questionnaire) were administered. Additionally, 14 days of sleep diary (Pittsburg Sleep Diary) data and actual use of sleep-related behaviors were collected. RESULTS: Regression analysis revealed that dysfunctional beliefs about sleep predicted sleep-related safety behaviors. Insomnia severity did not predict sleep-related safety behaviors. Depression accounted for the greatest amount of unique variance in the prediction of safety behaviors, followed by dysfunctional beliefs. Exploratory analysis revealed that participants with higher levels of depression used more sleep-related behaviors and reported greater dysfunctional beliefs about their sleep. CONCLUSION: The findings underlie the significant influence that dysfunctional beliefs have on individuals' behaviors. Moreover, the results suggest that depression may need to be considered as an explicit component of cognitive-behavioral models of insomnia.     

Psychometric comparisons of the standard and abbreviated DBAS-10 versions of the dysfunctional beliefs and attitudes about sleep questionnaire

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the psychometric properties of the DBAS-10, a recently proposed abbreviated version of the Dysfunctional Beliefs and Attitudes About Sleep Scale (DBAS). POPULATION: Two hundred and eleven (69 normal sleepers; 142 insomnia suffers) middle-aged and older adults (age 40-79 years) drawn from two separate cohorts of research volunteers. METHOD: Volunteers in the first cohort (69 normal sleepers; 69 insomnia sufferers) completed the full DBAS on one occasion. Volunteers in the second cohort (73 insomnia sufferers) completed the full DBAS prior to treatment and at multiple subsequent time points to assess treatment-related changes. A series of statistical tests were conducted with one or both cohorts to investigate the comparability of the DBAS-10 and full DBAS, the internal consistency of each instrument, the factor structure of the DBAS-10, and the validity of this instrument. RESULTS: Statistical findings showed that the DBAS-10 correlated highly with the full DBAS, had respectable internal consistency, effectively discriminated normal sleepers from insomnia sufferers, and detected cognitive changes resulting specifically from CBT intervention. Although factor analysis empirically identified three conceptually meaningful DBAS-10 subscales, the subscale structure varied somewhat from previous factor analytic findings with this instrument. CONCLUSIONS: The DBAS-10 generally appears to have very acceptable psychometric properties although subscales previously proposed for this instrument may vary across research populations. Nonetheless, results encourage the use of this instrument in studies concerned with the nature and treatment of sleep-disruptive cognitions.     

Clinical features of the patients with major depressive disorder co-occurring insomnia and hypersomnia symptoms: a report of NSSD study

BackgroundThe co-occurrence of insomnia and hypersomnia symptoms in patients with major depressive disorder (MDD) is associated with suicidal ideation and functional impairment. The relationship between sleep disturbances and clinical features and outcomes may not be adequately studied. In this study, we measured the functional impairments and clinical features of co-occurring insomnia and hypersomnia symptoms in Chinese patients with MDD.MethodsA post-hoc analysis was performed on data from the National Survey on Symptomatology of Depression (NSSD), which assessed the MDD patients in 32 hospitals by a clinician-rating questionnaire. The clinical features and outcomes were compared among the following four groups: insomnia symptom only, hypersomnia symptom only, both insomnia and hypersomnia symptoms, no sleep disturbance, respectively.ResultsTotally, 234 (7.15%) of 3275 participants with MDD co-occurred insomnia and hypersomnia symptoms. They had more depressive symptoms (27.41 ± 9.123), higher rate of suicide ideation (39.7%), more severe impairment in physical (58.1%), economic (32.9%), work (55.1%), and relationship with families (29.5%). Patients with both sleep disturbances were more likely to excessive worry about sleep, have suicidal ideation, the distress of social disharmony, more somatic symptoms, lack of energy, hyperphagia, loss of mood reactivity, and diurnal change, whereas less likely to have anxious mood.LimitationsSleep disorders were not diagnosed by current standard diagnostic criteria.ConclusionsPatients co-occurring with both sleep disturbances are associated with a higher rate of suicide risk and poorer social function. Our study could provide implications for suicidal risk evaluation and the development of therapeutic strategies for depression.     

Nocturnal sleep,daytime sleepiness and fatigue in fibromyalgia patients compared to rheumatoid arthritis patients and healthy controls: A preliminary study

ObjectiveFibromyalgia (FM) and rheumatoid arthritis (RA) are pain disorders, both of which are associated with complaints of sleep disturbance, non-refreshing sleep, and daytime sleepiness and fatigue. Given the putative differential central versus peripheral nervous system involvement in these disorders, subjective and objective measures of nocturnal sleep, daytime sleepiness, fatigue and pain were compared between patient groups and to healthy controls (HC).MethodsFifty women (18 with FM, 16 with RA, and 16 HC) completed an 8 h nocturnal polysomnogram (NPSG), Multiple Sleep Latency Test (MSLT) the following day, and self-reports of sleepiness, fatigue, and pain.ResultsFM and RA patients were similar to each other and had less total sleep time than HC, primarily due to more wake after sleep onset. In an analysis of sleep and wake bouts, both patient groups had longer duration of wake bouts than HC. Nocturnal sleep was judged to be non-restorative for both patient groups. Although reporting the greatest subjective sleepiness and fatigue, FM patients had less objective (MSLT) daytime sleepiness than HC, whereas RA patients were intermediate in objective sleepiness. Unlike the RA and HC, FM patients also showed no association between their subjective and objective sleepiness.ConclusionsWomen with FM have similar nocturnal sleep disturbance as those with RA, but FM patients report greater self-rated daytime sleepiness and fatigue than RA and HC, which did not correspond to the relatively low level of objectively determined daytime sleepiness of FM patients. These findings suggest a generalized hyperarousal state in FM.     

The effects of pregabalin on sleep disturbance symptoms among individuals with fibromyalgia syndrome

ObjectivesSleep disturbances are common in patients with fibromyalgia (FM). The objective of this analysis was to evaluate the effects of pregabalin on sleep in patients with FM.MethodsAnalyses were based on two randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trials of pregabalin (300 mg, 450 mg, and 600 mg daily) in adult FM patients. Sleep outcomes included the Medical Outcomes Study (MOS) Sleep Scale and a daily diary assessment of sleep quality. Treatment effects were evaluated using analysis of covariance. Clinically important differences (CID) in the Sleep Quality Diary and MOS Sleep Disturbance scores were estimated using mixed-effects models of changes in scores as a function of patients’ global impressions of change. Mediation modeling was used to quantify the direct treatment effects on sleep in contrast to indirect influence of the treatment on sleep via pain.ResultsA total of 748 and 745 patients were randomized in the respective studies. Patients were predominantly Caucasian females, average age 48–50 years, on average had FM for 9–10 years, and experienced moderate to severe baseline pain. Pregabalin significantly improved the Sleep Quality Diary (P < 0.001), MOS Sleep Disturbance (P < 0.01), MOS Quantity of Sleep (P < 0.003), and MOS Sleep Problems Index scores (P < 0.02) relative to placebo. Treatment effects for the 450 mg and 600 mg groups exceeded the estimated CID thresholds of 0.83 and 7.9 for the Sleep Quality Diary and MOS Sleep Disturbance scores, respectively. Mediation models indicated that 43–80% of the benefits on sleep (versus placebo) were direct effects of pregabalin, with the remainder resulting from an indirect effect of treatment via pain relief.ConclusionsThese data demonstrate improvement in FM-related sleep dysfunction with pregabalin therapy. The majority of this benefit was a direct effect of pregabalin on the patients’ insomnia, while the remainder occurred through the drug’s analgesic activity.