ABSTRACT
Objectives@#The purpose of this study was to develop a screening tool that is simple and easy to use for assessing sleep problems, including hypersomnolence, restless legs syndrome, and insomnia. We also examined the reliability and validity of this tool. @*Methods@#We developed the Sleep Problem Screening Questionnaire (SPSQ), which consists of three sub-sections: insomnia (SPSQi), hypersomnolence (SPSQh), and restless legs syndrome (SPSQr). Subsequently, the participants, consisting of 222 patients with insomnia disorder and 78 healthy individuals, completed both the SPSQ and the comparative scale (Korean version of the Insomnia Severity Index). The analysis was then conducted using this data. @*Results@#The SPSQ demonstrated good convergent and discriminant validity, as well as satisfactory internal consistency. A cutoff score of 6 on the SPSQi was found to be optimal for distinguishing individuals with insomnia. @*Conclusion@#The results of this study suggest that the SPSQ is a reliable and valid tool for screening sleep problems among general adult population. However, there is a limitation as a comparison and validation with scales related to restless legs syndrome and hypersomnolence were not conducted.
ABSTRACT
OBJECTIVE: Conventional methods for organotypic hippocampal tissue slice culture (OHSC) have shown several disadvantages or limitations regarding age of animals used, duration of culture and difficulty using neurodegenerative models. Therefore, we tried to establish OHSC from old 3xTg-Alzheimer’s disease (AD) mice for longer period (over 4 weeks) and to validate utility of this system as a valid platform for translational neuroscience of AD. METHODS: OHSC was performed with old 3xTg-AD mice (12–14 months), old wild type mice (12–14 months) and young 3xTg-AD mice (2–4 months) using serum-free medium for 4 weeks. Hippocampal structure was evaluated by 4’, 6-diamidino-2-phenylindole (DAPI) intensity and neuronal metabolism was measured by Alamarblue assay. Pathologic characteristics of AD were also investigated; β-amyloid levels by ELISA, amyloid plaque deposition by Thioflavin-S staining, and glial activation by immunohistochemistry. RESULTS: Following 4-week culture in serum-free media, hippocampal cells and layers were well preserved in cultured slices from old AD mice as was in those from young AD and old wild type mice. On the contrary, excessive regression of total visible cells was observed in conventional serum-containing medium regardless of genotype of mice. In parallel with this well preserved structure, major pathologic characteristics of AD were also well manifested in hippocampal slices from old AD mice. CONCLUSION: Our findings suggest that long-term OHSC from old 3xTg-AD mouse can serve as a promising ex vivo system for studies on pathophysiology of AD, especially with the minimum number of sacrifice of experimental animals.