Age-related changes in cardiac autonomic control during sleep

Aging is commonly associated with decreased sleep quality and increased periodic breathing (PB) that can influence heart rate variability (HRV). Cardiac autonomic control, as inferred from HRV analysis, was determined, taking into account the sleep quality and breathing patterns. Two groups of 12 young (21.1 +/- 0.8 years) and 12 older (64.9 +/- 1.9 years) volunteers underwent electroencephalographic, cardiac, and respiratory recordings during one experimental night. Time and frequency domain indices of HRV were calculated in 5-min segments, together with electroencephalographic and respiratory power spectra. In the elderly, large R-R oscillations in the very-low frequency (VLF) range emerged, that reflected the frequency of PB observed in 18% of the sleep time. PB occurred more frequently during rapid eye movement sleep (REM) sleep and caused a significant (P < 0.02) increase in the standard deviation of normal R-R intervals (SDNN) and absolute low-frequency (LF) power. With normal respiratory patterns, SDNN, absolute VLF, LF, and high frequency (HF) power fell during each sleep stage (P < 0.01) compared with young subjects, with no significant sleep-stage dependent variations. An overall decrease (P < 0.01) in normalized HF/(LF + HF) was observed in the elderly, suggesting a predominant loss of parasympathetic activity which may be related to decreased slow-wave sleep duration. These results indicate that two distinct breathing features, implying different levels of autonomic drive to the heart, influence HRV in the elderly during sleep. The breathing pattern must be considered to correctly interpret HRV in the elderly.     

慢性不完全性睡眠剥夺对幼鼠学习记忆的影响

目的：探讨慢性不完全性睡眠剥夺对幼鼠学习记忆能力的影响及其可能机制。方法：建立慢性不完全性睡眠剥夺动物模型，并测定其空间学习记忆能力，同时对幼鼠大脑前额皮质及海马神经元性一氧化氮合酶(nNOS)的表达进行分析。结果：睡眠剥夺组幼鼠完成预定任务所需的时间及发生错误的次数均超过正常对照组。睡眠剥夺组的nNOS在前额皮质区域阳性、强阳性表达面积及在海马区域强阳性表达面积均大于正常对照组。结论：慢性不完全性睡眠剥夺会影响幼鼠的学习记忆能力，而前额皮质及海马中nNOS表达水平的下降可能是慢性不完全性睡眠剥夺影响未成熟脑学习记忆能力的机制之一。     

睡眠信念与态度量表在失眠患者健康教育中的应用

目的: 采用睡眠个人信念与态度量表探索患者睡眠障碍与哪些歪曲的信念有关,针对歪曲的信念进行睡眠实践教育,达到促进睡眠的目的.方法: 连续收集62例以失眠为主诉的患者,随机分成试验组与对照组,各31例,两组均在药物治疗及心理治疗基础上进行睡眠健康教育.试验组针对患者自身存在的歪曲信念态度进行健康教育,而对照组只进行常规的健康宣教.入组前及入组后每周,应用睡眠个人信念与态度量表(Dysfunctional Beliefs and Attitudes about Sleep Scale,DBAS)、匹茨堡睡眠指数量表(Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index,PSQI)对两组进行测评,同时让患者评价睡眠时间、睡眠质量、睡眠效果和对健康教育接受程度.结果: 健康教育4周后试验组和对照组DBAS得分均高于人组时[(111.0±8.7)vs.(88.9±12.3)、(93.5±17.2)vs.(81.3±19.2),P:0.001、0.010],而PSQI得分均低于入组时[(5.5±2.1)vs.(10.9±4.4)、(9.0 ±2.1)vs.(11.5±3.6),均P=0.001];健康教育4周后对照组的DBAS得分低于实验组,而PSQI得分高于实验组.健康教育后试验组对睡眠时间、睡眠质量、睡眠效果满意的比例均明显提高,睡眠时间满意的比例由18/31到30/31,对睡眠质量满意比例由8/31变为23/31,对睡眠效果满意比例由8/31到21/31(均P＜0.05).试验组对睡眠时间满意的比例明显高于对照组(30/31 vs.14/31,P＜0.01),对健康教育的接受程度也明显高于对照组(18/31 vs.5/31,P＜0.05).结论: 试验组健康教育后患者的睡眠信念有了明显的改善,睡眠质量有了提高.     

REM sleep deprivation increases preference for novelty in rats.

As a further test of the hypothesis that REM deprivation decreases fear, the behavior of 40 male rats was measured in a Y-maze adapted to test for preference for novelty. Prior to this test, the animals were exposed for 4 days to one of four treatments, i.e., either a dry environment control, a wet environment control, a 2-day REM deprivation period or a 4-day REM deprivation period. During the test both number of grid crossing in the novel and non-novel arms of the Y-maze and three indices of emotionality were recorded. The results were congruent with data we had reported earlier and offered convincing evidence in support of the hypothesis.     

正常成人上呼吸道CT测量及其意义

目的：确定正常人的上呼吸道CT扫描下各平面的横截面积、经线长度以及咽壁厚度，为临床服务。方法：无明显睡眠呼吸疾病史的成年人（男115、女110），采用Philips Tomoscan AV Expander E1螺旋CT，对鼻咽顶部到声门之间的区域进行连续扫描，测量软腭后区、悬雍垂后区、舌后区和会厌后区的气道横截面积、失状径、冠状径、咽侧壁和咽后壁软组织厚度，以单侧95％可信区间确定各测量指标的参考值。结果：在上呼吸道各个扫描平面，绝大多数气道的形状均为横椭圆形，冠状径大于失状径，在软腭后区、悬雍垂后区、舌后区和会厌后区中，失状径大于冠状径者分别占总人数的3．11％、10．67％、0．8％和0％。各年龄组间比较，绝大多数测量指标差异不显著，男子组和女子组间比较，除软腭后区外，大多数测量指标差异显著。故分别制定了男、女各测量指标的还范围。结论：成人上呼吸道CT测量以及正常范围的确定为临床判定OSAS患者上呼吸道解剖性狭窄的部位提供了客观依据，男性OSAS发病率明显高于女性有其相关的生理基础。     

Blood pressure analysis

SUMMARY  Arterial blood pressure is influenced by sleep-related breathing disorders. As cardiovascular consequences can be diagnosed by an accurate recording and analysis of blood pressure, new recording methodologies and an approach to analysis are presented here. Invasive continuous blood pressure recording is the common reference for all methodologies. As blood pressure varies rapidly in parallel with sleep-related breathing disorders it is indispensible to record blood pressure continuously. To introduce non-invasive methodology the Finapres system was used during sleep studies; a validation study showed severe limitations. This study was followed by the validation of an improved system called Portapres, which is portable, has two finger cuffs and a hydrostatic height compensation.
Analysis of continuous blood pressure in patients with sleep apnoea is carried out to detect mechanisms which influence the cardiovascular risk. Spectrum analysis of systolic blood pressure showed two different major oscillations present in patients with obstructive sleep apnoea. One oscillation (<0.06 Hz) occurs in parallel with each apnoeic episode and the other oscillation (0.2-0.4 Hz) occurs in parallel with the obstructive efforts during each apnoea and in parallel with respiration during periods of snoring. These two oscillations were so specific that the use of non-invasive continuous blood pressure recording allowed an estimation of the extent of underlying breathing disorders, and assessment of cardiovascular risk in a patient with obstructive apnoea in terms of hypertension and on the basis of ambulatory monitoring.     

Relationship between REM sleep latency and nocturnal cortisol concentrations in depressed patients

SUMMARY  Due to conflicting reports on the possible association between shortening of rapid eye movement (REM) latency and increased cortisol secretion in patients with severe depression, this study examined the relationship between REM sleep latency and nocturnal cortisol concentration in 12 outpatients with major depression. The results showed a significant inverse correlation ( r = —0.71, P <0.01) between REM sleep latency and mean (23.00 hours-03.00 hours) plasma cortisol concentration. Age and severity of depression did not contribute to the inverse relationship. REM activity and density during the first REM period showed no significant correlations with the cortisol measures. A review of the literature suggests that this relationship might be unique to subjects with major depression, and again raises the possibility that these biological disruptions may have a common neurochemical basis.     

Periodic breathing and genetics

The episodic waxing and waning of ventilation is a fundamental event in sleep apnea syndromes. Post-hypoxic frequency decline (PHFD) and periodic breathing (PB) are evoked by brief hypoxic exposures in unanaesthetized and unrestrained inbred C57BL/6J mice, but not in A/J mice; and expression of PHFD differs not only among these mice strains but in among rat strains as well. These observations along with the current literature on genetic factors that operate on ventilatory behavior at rest and with chemosensory drive lead to the hypothesis that genetic factors infer some proportion of risk for the ventilatory instability observed in human sleep apnea syndromes.     

Sleep patterns of Down's syndrome children: Effects of butoctamide hydrogen succinate (BAHS) administration

Several investigators have described the altered sleep patterns in Down's syndrome subjects. The most relevant findings have been a reduction in percentage of REM sleep, a prolonged latency to the first REM episode, an increase in undifferentiated sleep, and a reduced ratio of the oculomotor frequencies. Because it is of interest to identify new drugs able to increase the percentage of REM sleep in mentally retarded subjects, we studied the effects of butoctamide hydrogen succinate (BAHS) on nocturnal sleep in eight young institutionalized Down's syndrome subjects.BAHS produced a significant increase in the percentage of REM sleep as well as a decrease in undifferentiated sleep and latency to the first REM.     

视屏暴露和户外活动与幼儿睡眠的关联研究

目的 分析视屏暴露和户外活动与幼儿睡眠的相关性,为预防和干预儿童睡眠问题提供科学依据。方法 基于已建立的马鞍山市母婴健康出生队列,对2015年6月—2016年6月出生的单胎活产儿,随访至2岁,收集社会人口统计学、视屏暴露、户外活动和睡眠情况的资料。共获得有效问卷1 575份,男童833人,女童742人。使用χ²检验和Logistic回归模型对数据进行分析。结果 幼儿睡眠质量差的发生率为26.16%;电视打开时间(不一定在看)≥2 h/d、看电视≥1 h/d、玩手机≥30 min/d分别占50.73%、45.21%和26.03%,户外活动≥2 h/d的比例为71.30%;去户外场所的频率≥2次/周和在户外场所≥1 h/次的比例分别为76.31%和37.71%。调整人口统计学等混杂因素后,打开电视时间(不一定在看电视)≥2 h/d(OR=1.40,95%CI:1.11～1.77)、看电视时间≥1 h/d(OR=1.39,95%CI:1.11～1.75)、玩手机时间≥30 min/d(OR=1.55,95%CI:1.21～1.99)均会增加幼儿睡眠质量差发生的风险;去户外场所的频率≥2次/周(OR=0.72,95%CI:0.55～0.93)和在户外场所时间≥1 h/次(OR=0.78,95%CI:0.62～0.99)则能降低发生幼儿睡眠质量差的风险。结论 幼儿睡眠问题存在一定比例,视屏暴露和户外活动均与幼儿睡眠相关,在儿童保健门诊中应对家长进行科学指导,减少视屏暴露时间,增加户外活动,以减少儿童睡眠问题的发生。