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1.
Br J Nurs ; 32(8): S8-S13, 2023 Apr 20.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-37083392

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: Nutrition nurses work in multidisciplinary and nurse-led outpatient clinics. The daily nutrition nurse-led 'hot' clinic in this study sees patients for enteral or home parenteral nutritional support. Appointments may be for routine procedures or emergency reviews. AIMS: This study aimed to identify activities and procedures performed in the nutrition nurse-led clinic, identifying admission avoidance activity. METHODS: Nurse-held records for the period from April 2018 to March 2020 were reviewed retrospectively. Data were collated in an Excel spreadsheet for analysis and results are presented using descriptive statistics. RESULTS: Records covered a total of 590 patients, 294 men and 296 women with a median age of 59 years, and 606 procedures. Key activities were troubleshooting enteral feeding tubes (29%), insertion of fine-bore nasogastric feeding tubes (18%) and management of home parenteral nutrition issues (11%). The presenting problem or issue was resolved in 90% of patients, with no need for hospital admission or additional medical review. CONCLUSION: The nutrition nurse-led clinic provides an efficient and cost-effective service, preventing hospital admission and emergency department attendance in most cases.


Subject(s)
Gastrostomy , Nurse's Role , Male , Humans , Female , Middle Aged , Gastrostomy/methods , Retrospective Studies , Cost-Benefit Analysis , Outpatients , Intubation, Gastrointestinal/methods , Ambulatory Care Facilities
2.
Chronobiol Int ; 40(2): 91-102, 2023 02.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-36408793

ABSTRACT

Circadian rhythms alter with ageing and may be aetiologically linked to neurodegeneration. This study explored the association between clinical markers and 1) dim light melatonin onset (DLMO) time and 2) phase angle derived from sleep midpoint, in older adults with varying dementia risks. Participants completed 14 days of actigraphy followed by in-lab measurement of salivary melatonin, from which DLMO time and phase angle were computed. Eighty participants (age = 65.5, SD = 9.6), 44 males (55%), MMSE (28.6, SD = 1.5) were included in the analysis. Sex (t = 2.15, p = .04), sleep onset (r = 0.49, p < .001) and midpoint (r = 0.44, p < .001) also correlated with DLMO time. Multiple linear regression showed chronotype, average actigraphy-derived light exposure during the DLMO window (window 2 h prior to DLMO to 2 h post), early biological day (6-10 h post DLMO time) and late biological day (10-14 h post DLMO time) were predictive of DLMO time (adjusted R2 = 0.75). Sleep offset, depression severity, average light exposure during the early biological night and early and late biological day were shown to be predictive variables in the estimation of phase angle (adjusted R2 = 0.78). The current study highlights the potential use of clinical variables, such as actigraphy-derived light, as circadian markers in ageing which could be easily implemented into existing clinical practice and could yield potential targets focusing on chronotherapeutic interventions.


Subject(s)
Dementia , Melatonin , Male , Humans , Aged , Circadian Rhythm , Actigraphy , Sleep , Light
4.
Arch Dis Child ; 107(4): 394-399, 2022 04.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-35074833

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: Evidence supporting personalised treatment for asthma based on an individual's genetics is mounting. The views of children and young people (CYP), parents and healthcare professionals (HCPs) about this evolution of clinical care are not known. METHODS: A pilot prospective questionnaire-based study was undertaken of CYP with asthma, their parents and HCPs at a secondary/tertiary children's hospital in the UK. RESULTS: Fifty-nine questionnaires were distributed and 50 returned (response rate 84.7%), comprising 26 CYP (10 were 5-11 years, 11 were 12-15 years and 5 were 16-18 years old), 13 parents and 11 HCPs. For all types of data, personal information was ranked as the 'most important' (n=19, 47.5%) and 'most private' (n=16, 40%), but with considerable variation across groups. Within health data, allergies were rated as 'most important' (n=12, 30.8%), and mental health records the 'most private' (n=21, 53.8%), again with variation across groups. A 'personalised genetic asthma plan' was acceptable to the majority overall (n=40, 80.0%). With regard to sharing CYP's genetic data, 23 (46%) of participants were happy for unconditional sharing between HCPs, and 23 (46%) agreed to sharing solely in relation to the CYP's asthma management. Forty-two (84.0%) of participants felt CYP should be informed about genetic data being shared, and the majority felt this should commence by 12 years of age. CONCLUSION: The use of genetic information to guide management of asthma in CYP is largely acceptable to CYP, parents/guardians and HCPs. However, there are key differences between the opinions of CYP, parents and HCPs.


Subject(s)
Asthma , Pharmacogenetics , Adolescent , Asthma/drug therapy , Asthma/genetics , Child , Delivery of Health Care , Humans , Parents/psychology , Prospective Studies
5.
Bull Hist Med ; 96(4): 545-611, 2022.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-38588142

ABSTRACT

The alternative ways of thinking about health care delivery and medical training developed by health care activists of the 1960s and 1970s profoundly shaped American health policy. I explore three episodes that took place in this time period: a moment when medical student activists in Philadelphia demanded that the city's medical schools admit African Americans as one-third of every 1969 first-year class; tensions between feminists and gynecologists over who should have authority in women's health and whether the idea of a feminist physician was an oxymoron; and the extraordinary enthusiasm American physicians and other practitioners expressed about China's Maoist health system. These three intersectional examples highlight the words and deeds of activist insiders and underscore their reliance on activist outsiders for validation and empowerment of their demands. Finally, I argue that the history of health activism offers a powerful vehicle for examining health politics in ways that can illuminate not only the intricate bureaucratic maneuverings of politicians and administrators but also the passion, struggles, and dreams of providers and consumers.

6.
J Med Humanit ; 41(4): 515-529, 2020 Dec.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-32378066

ABSTRACT

A romance with the concept of community has long characterized activist healthcare movements and has more recently been taken up by academic medical centers (AMCs) as a sign of virtuous civic engagement. During the late 1960s, the word community, as deployed by administrators at prestigious AMCs, became increasingly politicized, commodified and racialized. Here, we analyze how the concept of community was initially framed in the 1963 Community Mental Health Centers Act, the first legislation to establish community mental health centers in America. We then examine the Health Policy Advisory Center's analysis of the proposed Washington Heights Community Mental Health Center to be run by Columbia University's College of Physicians and Surgeons, an institution that had historically neglected residents' health needs. Community pushback against Columbia's plan to build a multi-block center, amplified by medical students and residents critical of the professionalized community mental health movement, escalated in the late 1960s, leading the city's planning board to reject Columbia and approve a community council's plan for preventive and rehabilitative local services. These conflicting overtones of "community" still inform understandings of the word in medicine today; thus, a critical historical analysis of "community" is warranted.


Subject(s)
Academic Medical Centers , Politics , Health Policy , Humans , United States , Washington
7.
Transl Psychiatry ; 8(1): 213, 2018 10 09.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-30301878

ABSTRACT

Abnormalities in circadian rhythms have been reported in people with mood disorders, but these abnormalities are marked by considerable inter-individual variability. This study aimed to identify pathophysiological subgroups on the basis of circadian markers and evaluate how these subgroups relate to psychiatric profiles. Thirty-five young adults (18-31 years old) receiving clinical care for unipolar depressive disorders and 15 healthy controls took part to this study. The Hamilton Rating Scale for Depression and the Young Mania rating scale were used to evaluate the severity of mood symptoms in participants with depressive disorders. All participant underwent ambulatory sleep monitoring with actigraphy for about 12 days before attending a laboratory-based chronobiological assessment which included repeated salivary samples to determine dim light melatonin onset (DLMO) and continuous core body temperature (CBT) monitoring using an ingestible temperature sensor. Cluster analyses were conducted across all participants to identify subgroups with consistent circadian timing profiles based on DLMO and the nocturnal minima of CBT. Two clusters were identified: 'delayed' and 'conventional timing' circadian phase. Descriptive analyses showed that the delayed cluster was characterised by abnormal time relationships between circadian phase markers and the sleep-wake cycle. Importantly, individuals from the delayed cluster had worse depression severity (t(28) = -2.7, p = 0.011) and hypomanic symptoms (Z = -2.2, p = 0.041) than their peers with conventional circadian timing. These findings suggest that delayed and disorganised circadian rhythms may be linked to worse psychiatric profiles in young people with depressive disorders.


Subject(s)
Circadian Rhythm , Depressive Disorder/physiopathology , Depressive Disorder/psychology , Actigraphy , Adolescent , Adult , Body Temperature , Female , Humans , Male , Melatonin/analysis , Psychiatric Status Rating Scales , Severity of Illness Index , Sleep , Young Adult
8.
Front Neurosci ; 11: 336, 2017.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-28676736

ABSTRACT

Myo-inositol, a second messenger glucose isomer and glial marker, is potentiated by melatonin. In addition to common abnormalities in melatonin regulation, depressive disorders have been associated with reduced myo-inositol in frontal structures. This study examined associations between myo-inositol in the anterior cingulate cortex and the timing of evening melatonin release. Forty young persons with unipolar depression were recruited from specialized mental health services (20.3 ± 3.8 years old). Healthy controls were recruited from the community (21.7 ± 2.6 years old). The timing of dim light melatonin onset (DLMO) was estimated using salivary melatonin sampling. Myo-inositol concentrations (MI/CrPCr ratio) in the anterior cingulate cortex were obtained using proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy. After controlling for age, sex, and CrPCr concentration the depression group had significantly lower MI/CrPCr ratios than healthy controls [F(4, 75) = 11.4, p = 0.001]. In the depression group, later DLMO correlated with lower MI/CrPCr ratio (r = -0.48, p = 0.014). These findings suggest that neurochemical changes in the frontal cortex are associated with circadian disruptions in young persons with depression.

9.
Syst Rev ; 5(1): 106, 2016 07 05.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-27381332

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: People with bipolar disorder (BD) have a mortality gap of up to 20 years compared to the general population. Physical conditions, such as cardiovascular disease (CVD) and cancer, cause the majority of excess deaths in psychiatric populations and are the leading causes of mortality in people with BD. However, comparatively little attention has been paid to reducing the risk of physical conditions in psychiatric populations. Unhealthy lifestyle behaviors are among the potentially modifiable risk factors for a range of commonly comorbid chronic medical conditions, including CVD, diabetes, and obesity. This systematic review will identify and evaluate the available evidence for effective interventions to reduce risk and promote healthy lifestyle behaviors in BD. METHODS/DESIGN: We will search MEDLINE, Embase, PsychINFO, Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, and CINAHL for published research studies (with at least an abstract published in English) that evaluate behavioral or psychosocial interventions to address the following lifestyle factors in people with BD: tobacco use, physical inactivity, unhealthy diet, overweight or obesity, sleep-wake disturbance, and alcohol/other drug use. Primary outcomes for the review will be changes in tobacco use, level of physical activity, diet quality, sleep quality, alcohol use, and illicit drug use. Data on each primary outcome will be synthesized across available studies in that lifestyle area (e.g., tobacco abstinence, cigarettes smoked per day), and panel of research and clinical experts in each of the target lifestyle behaviors and those experienced with clinical and research with individuals with BD will determine how best to represent data related to that primary outcome. Seven members of the systematic review team will extract data, synthesize the evidence, and rate it for quality. Evidence will be synthesized via a narrative description of the behavioral interventions and their effectiveness in improving the healthy lifestyle behaviors in people with BD. DISCUSSION: The planned review will synthesize and evaluate the available evidence regarding the behavioral or psychosocial treatment of lifestyle-related behaviors in people with BD. From this review, we will identify gaps in our existing knowledge and research evidence about the management of unhealthy lifestyle behaviors in people with BD. We will also identify potential opportunities to address lifestyle behaviors in BD, with a view to reducing the burden of physical ill-health in this population. SYSTEMATIC REVIEW REGISTRATION: PROSPERO CRD42015019993.


Subject(s)
Alcohol Drinking/prevention & control , Bipolar Disorder/psychology , Diet, Healthy , Exercise , Risk Reduction Behavior , Sleep , Smoking Prevention , Substance-Related Disorders/prevention & control , Alcohol Drinking/adverse effects , Alcohol Drinking/psychology , Bipolar Disorder/complications , Cardiovascular Diseases/etiology , Cardiovascular Diseases/prevention & control , Diabetes Mellitus/etiology , Diabetes Mellitus/prevention & control , Evidence-Based Practice , Feeding Behavior/psychology , Humans , Risk Factors , Smoking/adverse effects , Smoking/psychology , Systematic Reviews as Topic
10.
BMC Public Health ; 16: 670, 2016 07 30.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-27473327

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: Many adults are insufficiently physically active, have prolonged sedentary behaviour and report poor sleep. These behaviours can be improved by interventions that include education, goal setting, self-monitoring, and feedback strategies. Few interventions have explicitly targeted these behaviours simultaneously or examined the relative efficacy of different self-monitoring methods. METHODS/DESIGN: This study aims to compare the efficacy of two self-monitoring methods in an app-based multi-behaviour intervention to improve objectively measured physical activity, sedentary, and sleep behaviours, in a 9 week 2-arm randomised trial. Participants will be adults (n = 64) who report being physically inactive, sitting >8 h/day and frequent insufficient sleep (≥14 days out of last 30). The "Balanced" intervention is delivered via a smartphone 'app', and includes education materials (guidelines, strategies to promote change in behaviour), goal setting, self-monitoring and feedback support. Participants will be randomly allocated to either a device-entered or user-entered self-monitoring method. The device-entered group will be provided with a activity tracker to self-monitor behaviours. The user-entered group will recall and manually record behaviours. Assessments will be conducted at 0, 3, 6, and 9 weeks. Physical activity, sedentary behaviour and sleep-wake behaviours will be measured using the wrist worn Geneactiv accelerometer. Linear mixed models will be used to examine differences between groups and over time using an alpha of 0.01. DISCUSSION: This study will evaluate an app-based multi-behavioural intervention to improve physical activity, sedentary behaviour and sleep; and the relative efficacy of two different approaches to self-monitoring these behaviours. Outcomes will provide information to inform future interventions and self-monitoring targeting these behaviours. TRIAL REGISTRATION: ACTRN12615000182594 (Australian New Zealand Clinical Trials Registry. Registry URL: www.anzctr.org.au ; registered prospectively on 25 February 2015).


Subject(s)
Behavior Therapy , Exercise , Mobile Applications , Sedentary Behavior , Sleep , Smartphone , Adolescent , Adult , Female , Humans , Male , Middle Aged , New South Wales , Treatment Outcome , Young Adult
11.
Early Interv Psychiatry ; 10(1): 63-70, 2016 Feb.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-24773912

ABSTRACT

AIM: To determine if disturbed sleep-wake cycle patterns in young people with evolving mental disorder are associated with stages of illness. METHODS: The sleep-wake cycle was monitored using actigraphy across 4 to 22 days. Participants (21 healthy controls and 154 persons seeking help for mental health problems) were aged between 12 and 30 years. Those persons seeking mental health care were categorized as having mild symptoms (stage 1a), an 'attenuated syndrome' (stage 1b) or an 'established mental disorder' (stage 2+). RESULTS: The proportions of individuals with a delayed weekdays sleep schedule increased progressively across illness stages: 9.5% of controls, 11.1% of stage 1a, 25.6% of stage 1b, and 50.0% of stage 2+ (χ(2) (3 d.f.) = 18.4, P < 0.001). A similar pattern was found for weekends (χ(2) (3 d.f.) = 7.6, P = 0.048). Compared with controls, stage 1b participants had later sleep onset on weekends (P = 0.015), and participants at stages 1b and 2+ had later sleep offset on both weekdays and weekends (P < 0.020). Compared with controls, all participants with mental disorders had more wake after sleep onset (P < 0.029) and those at stages 1a and 2+ had lower sleep efficiency (P < 0.040). Older age, medicated status and later weekdays sleep offset were found to be the three strongest correlates of later versus earlier clinical stages. CONCLUSIONS: In relation to clinical staging of common mental disorders in young people, the extent of delayed sleep phase is associated with more severe or persistent phases of illness.


Subject(s)
Mental Disorders/complications , Mental Disorders/diagnosis , Sleep Wake Disorders/complications , Sleep Wake Disorders/diagnosis , Actigraphy , Adolescent , Adult , Case-Control Studies , Child , Disease Progression , Female , Humans , Male , Risk Factors , Young Adult
12.
J Sleep Res ; 24(5): 494-502, 2015 Oct.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-26096839

ABSTRACT

Sleep disturbance is prevalent in older adults, particularly so in those at a greater risk of dementia. However, so far the clinical, medical and neuropsychological correlates of daytime sleep have not been examined. The aims of this study were to investigate the characteristics and effects of napping using actigraphy in older people, particularly in those 'at risk' of dementia. The study used actigraphy and sleep diaries to measure napping habits in 133 older adults 'at risk' of dementia (mean age = 65.5 years, SD = 8.4 years), who also underwent comprehensive medical, psychiatric and neuropsychological assessment. When defined by actigraphy, napping was present in 83.5% (111/133) of participants; however, duration and timing varied significantly among subjects. Nappers had significantly greater medical burden and body mass index, and higher rates of mild cognitive impairment. Longer and more frequent naps were associated with poorer cognitive functioning, as well as higher levels of depressive symptoms, while the timing of naps was associated with poorer nocturnal sleep quality (i.e. sleep latency and wake after sleep onset). This study highlights that in older adults 'at risk' of dementia, napping is associated with underlying neurobiological changes such as depression and cognition. Napping characteristics should be more routinely monitored in older individuals to elucidate their relationship with psychological and cognitive outcomes.


Subject(s)
Cognition/physiology , Dementia/physiopathology , Depression/physiopathology , Geriatric Assessment , Sleep/physiology , Actigraphy , Aged , Aged, 80 and over , Body Mass Index , Cognitive Dysfunction/physiopathology , Female , Habits , Humans , Male , Middle Aged , Neuropsychological Tests , Self Report , Sleep Initiation and Maintenance Disorders/physiopathology , Time Factors
13.
J Psychiatry Neurosci ; 40(1): 28-37, 2015 Jan.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-25203899

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: The nature of sleep-wake abnormalities in individuals with mental disorders remains unclear. The present study aimed to examine the differences in objective ambulatory measures of the sleep-wake and activity cycles across young people with anxiety, mood or psychotic disorders. METHODS: Participants underwent several days of actigraphy monitoring. We divided participants into 5 groups (control, anxiety disorder, unipolar depression, bipolar disorder, psychotic disorder) according to primary diagnosis. RESULTS: We enrolled 342 participants aged 12-35 years in our study: 41 healthy controls, 56 with anxiety disorder, 135 with unipolar depression, 80 with bipolar disorder and 30 with psychotic disorders. Compared with the control group, sleep onset tended to occur later in the anxiety, depression and bipolar groups; sleep offset occurred later in all primary diagnosis groups; the sleep period was longer in the anxiety, bipolar and psychosis groups; total sleep time was longer in the psychosis group; and sleep efficiency was lower in the depression group, with a similar tendency for the anxiety and bipolar groups. Sleep parameters were significantly more variable in patient subgroups than in controls. Cosinor analysis revealed delayed circadian activity profiles in the anxiety and bipolar groups and abnormal circadian curve in the psychosis group. LIMITATIONS: Although statistical analyses controlled for age, the sample included individuals from preadolescence to adulthood. Most participants from the primary diagnosis subgroups were taking psychotropic medications, and a large proportion had other comorbid mental disorders. CONCLUSION: Our findings suggest that delayed and disorganized sleep offset times are common in young patients with various mental disorders. However, other sleep-wake cycle disturbances appear to be more prominent in broad diagnostic categories.


Subject(s)
Anxiety Disorders/physiopathology , Bipolar Disorder/physiopathology , Depressive Disorder/physiopathology , Motor Activity/physiology , Psychotic Disorders/physiopathology , Sleep/physiology , Actigraphy , Adolescent , Adult , Anxiety Disorders/drug therapy , Bipolar Disorder/drug therapy , Child , Circadian Rhythm/physiology , Depressive Disorder/drug therapy , Female , Humans , Male , Psychotic Disorders/drug therapy , Wakefulness/physiology , Young Adult
15.
Am J Med Genet A ; 164A(9): 2232-9, 2014 Sep.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-24980612

ABSTRACT

Individuals with Prader-Willi syndrome (PWS) have a significant reduction in the number of oxytocin-producing neurons (42%) in the hypothalamic paraventricular nucleus. A number of animal studies and observations of humans show that lesions in this region can produce PWS-like symptoms. Given the evidence for potential oxytocin deficiency, we tested the effects of a course of intranasal oxytocin on PWS symptoms. Thirty individuals with PWS aged 12-30 years participated in an 18-week randomized double-blind placebo-controlled crossover trial. Participants received 8 weeks of oxytocin and 8 weeks of placebo with a minimum 2-week washout period. The first 11 participants received the following oxytocin doses: 24 IU (twice daily) B.I.D for participants 16 years and over and 18 IU B.I.D for participants 13-15 years. The dose was increased for the remaining 18 participants to 40 IU B.I.D for participants 16 years and over and 32 IU B.I.D for 13-15 years. Measures used to assess changes were standardized well-accepted measures, including the Developmental Behavior Checklist-Monitor, Parent, Teacher, and Adult; The Yale-Brown Obsessive Compulsive Scale; The Dykens Hyperphagia questionnaire; Reading The Mind in the Eyes Test; Epworth Sleepiness Scale and the Movie Stills. Oxytocin had little impact on any measure. The only significant difference found between the baseline, oxytocin, and placebo measures was an increase in temper outbursts (P = 0.023) with higher dose oxytocin. The lack of effect of oxytocin nasal spray may reflect the importance of endogenous release of oxytocin in response to exogenous oxytocin.


Subject(s)
Nasal Sprays , Oxytocin/therapeutic use , Prader-Willi Syndrome/drug therapy , Adolescent , Adult , Behavior , Child , Demography , Double-Blind Method , Female , Humans , Male , Young Adult
16.
PLoS One ; 9(4): e94184, 2014.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-24714564

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: The independent and combined influence of smoking, alcohol consumption, physical activity, diet, sitting time, and sleep duration and quality on health status is not routinely examined. This study investigates the relationships between these lifestyle behaviors, independently and in combination, and health-related quality of life (HRQOL). METHODS: Adult members of the 10,000 Steps project (n = 159,699) were invited to participate in an online survey in November-December 2011. Participant socio-demographics, lifestyle behaviors, and HRQOL (poor self-rated health; frequent unhealthy days) were assessed by self-report. The combined influence of poor lifestyle behaviors were examined, independently and also as part of two lifestyle behavior indices, one excluding sleep quality (Index 1) and one including sleep quality (Index 2). Adjusted Cox proportional hazard models were used to examine relationships between lifestyle behaviors and HRQOL. RESULTS: A total of 10,478 participants provided complete data for the current study. For Index 1, the Prevalence Ratio (p value) of poor self-rated health was 1.54 (p = 0.001), 2.07 (p≤0.001), 3.00 (p≤0.001), 3.61 (p≤0.001) and 3.89 (p≤0.001) for people reporting two, three, four, five and six poor lifestyle behaviors, compared to people with 0-1 poor lifestyle behaviors. For Index 2, the Prevalence Ratio (p value) of poor self-rated health was 2.26 (p = 0.007), 3.29 (p≤0.001), 4.68 (p≤0.001), 6.48 (p≤0.001), 7.91 (p≤0.001) and 8.55 (p≤0.001) for people reporting two, three, four, five, six and seven poor lifestyle behaviors, compared to people with 0-1 poor lifestyle behaviors. Associations between the combined lifestyle behavior index and frequent unhealthy days were statistically significant and similar to those observed for poor self-rated health. CONCLUSIONS: Engaging in a greater number of poor lifestyle behaviors was associated with a higher prevalence of poor HRQOL. This association was exacerbated when sleep quality was included in the index.


Subject(s)
Diet , Exercise/physiology , Health Behavior , Life Style , Quality of Life , Sleep/physiology , Adolescent , Adult , Aged , Alcohol Drinking , Cross-Sectional Studies , Female , Health Status , Humans , Male , Middle Aged , Obesity/psychology , Smoking , Surveys and Questionnaires , Young Adult
17.
PLoS One ; 9(2): e87763, 2014.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-24586290

ABSTRACT

Considering the marked changes in sleep and circadian rhythms across the lifespan, age may contribute to the heterogeneity in sleep-wake profiles linked to mood disorders. This study aimed to investigate the contributions of age and depression severity to sleep-wake disturbances. The Hamilton Depression Rating Scale (HDRS) was administered to assess current symptoms severity in 238 persons with a history of a mood disorder between 12 and 90 years of age (y.o.). Actigraphy was recorded over five to 22 days. Regression analyses and analyses of variance [age (12-19 y.o., 20-39 y.o., 40-59 y.o., and ≥ 60 y.o.) by depression severity (HDRS< and ≥ 8)] were conducted. The 12-19 y.o. and 20-39 y.o. groups had a delayed sleep schedule and acrophase compared to all other groups. The ≥ 60 y.o. group had a lower rhythmicity and amplitude (p ≤ .006) than the 12-19 y.o. group (p ≤ .046). Participants with a HDRS ≥ 8 spent longer time in bed, had later sleep offset times and had lower circadian rhythmicity than those with a HDRS<8 (p ≤ .036). Younger age and higher HDRS score correlated with later sleep onset and offset times, longer time in bed, higher WASO, lower sleep efficiency and later acrophase (p ≤ .023). Age was a significant predictor of delayed sleep and activity schedules (p ≤ .001). The profile of sleep-wake cycle disturbances associated with mood disorders changes with age, with prominent sleep phase delay during youth and reduced circadian strength in older persons. Conversely, disruptions in sleep consolidation seem more stable across age.


Subject(s)
Circadian Rhythm/physiology , Mood Disorders/physiopathology , Sleep/physiology , Wakefulness/physiology , Actigraphy/methods , Adolescent , Adult , Aged , Aged, 80 and over , Aging/physiology , Body Temperature/physiology , Child , Depressive Disorder/physiopathology , Female , Humans , Male , Middle Aged , Physiological Phenomena/physiology , Sleep Wake Disorders/physiopathology , Young Adult
18.
J Alzheimers Dis ; 38(4): 857-66, 2014.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-24100124

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: While it is evident that Alzheimer's disease is associated with disturbed sleep and circadian rhythms, the extent to which such changes are evident in older people 'at risk' of developing dementia is unknown. OBJECTIVE: In this study, we aimed to determine whether patients with mild cognitive impairment (MCI) demonstrated significant alterations in the timing of melatonin secretion onset and amount, as well as sleep architecture. METHODS: Thirty patients with MCI and 28 age-matched controls underwent psychiatric, medical, and neuropsychological assessment, followed by overnight polysomnography and dim light melatonin onset assessment. Participants also performed an episodic memory task while in the laboratory. Dim light melatonin onset was computed using a standardized algorithm, and area under the curve was computed for melatonin secretion. Sleep architecture measures including wake after sleep onset and latency to rapid eye movement sleep were derived. RESULTS: Patients with MCI had advanced timing of their melatonin secretion onset relative to controls, but the levels of melatonin secreted did not differ between groups. The MCI group also had greater wake after sleep onset and increased rapid eye movement sleep latency. There were differential associations between dim light melatonin onset and cognition between the two groups, with earlier dim light melatonin onset being associated with poorer memory performance in MCI patients. CONCLUSION: Circadian misalignment and sleep disruption is evident in patients with MCI, and is consistent with changes observed in Alzheimer's disease. Such findings could be a marker for disease trajectory, and may even be implicated in disease pathogenesis.


Subject(s)
Circadian Rhythm/physiology , Cognitive Dysfunction/blood , Sleep Wake Disorders/blood , Sleep/physiology , Aged , Aged, 80 and over , Biomarkers/blood , Cognitive Dysfunction/diagnosis , Cognitive Dysfunction/physiopathology , Female , Humans , Male , Melatonin/blood , Middle Aged , Polysomnography/methods , Self Report , Single-Blind Method , Sleep Wake Disorders/diagnosis , Sleep Wake Disorders/physiopathology
20.
J Affect Disord ; 145(2): 260-3, 2013 Feb 20.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-22877966

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: Circadian disturbances may play a key role in the pathogenesis of some forms of mood disorders. Despite marked changes in circadian rhythms during the normal course of adolescence and young adulthood, less is known about changes in the 24-h sleep-wake cycle in young persons with mood disorders. METHODS: Seventy-five young participants with mood disorders (unipolar: n=46, 20.1 ± 4.7 years old; bipolar I or II: n=29, 23.2 ± 4.3) and 20 healthy participants (24.8 ± 2.5 years old) underwent actigraphy monitoring during a depressive phase over seven consecutive days and nights. Sleep phase delay was defined as mean sleep onset ≥ 1:30 am and/or sleep offset ≥ 1 0:00 am. RESULTS: A delayed sleep phase was found in 62% of participants with bipolar disorders when depressed, compared with 30% of those with unipolar depression (χ(2)=6.0, p=0.014) and 10% of control participants (χ(2)=11.2, p<0.001). Sleep offset times were significantly later in subjects with mood disorders compared to the control group, and later in those with bipolar as compared with unipolar disorders (all p ≤ 0.043). LIMITATIONS: This study was cross-sectional and the depressed groups were somewhat younger compared to the healthy controls. Longitudinal studies are required to determine the predictive significance of these findings. CONCLUSIONS: Young patients with mood disorders, especially those with bipolar disorders, are particularly likely to have a delayed sleep phase. Therapies focused on advancing sleep phase may be of specific benefit to these young persons.


Subject(s)
Bipolar Disorder/epidemiology , Depressive Disorder/epidemiology , Sleep Wake Disorders/epidemiology , Adolescent , Adult , Bipolar Disorder/physiopathology , Case-Control Studies , Circadian Rhythm/physiology , Cross-Sectional Studies , Depressive Disorder/physiopathology , Female , Humans , Male , Young Adult
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