Insomnia and well-being.

Most Americans have occasional problems with insomnia. The relationship of insomnia to illness is well known. However, insomnia may also relate to lower levels of well-being. Although there are various definitions of well-being, one of the most clearly articulated and comprehensive models identifies 2 overarching constructs, psychological well-being and subjective well-being. The purpose in the present study was to assess the relationship between insomnia symptoms and the dimensions of psychological and subjective well-being, adjusting for the potential confound of comorbid physical and psychological illness. The data for the present study came from the National Survey of Midlife Development in the United States, a survey of community-dwelling adults. After adjustment for demographic characteristics and a wide range of chronic mental and physical health conditions, insomnia symptoms were found to have a significant relationship with both psychological and subjective well-being but a stronger relationship to subjective well-being. These data suggest that insomnia symptoms have a stronger relationship to enjoying life than to the perception that one has a meaningful life.

The cognitive mediation of obsessive-compulsive symptoms: a longitudinal study.

Contemporary cognitive models of obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) posit that OC symptoms arise from negative interpretations of intrusive thoughts, which are derived from trait-like dysfunctional assumptions ("obsessive beliefs;" e.g., concerning overestimates of responsibility). Although correlational studies suggest that obsessive beliefs, negative interpretations of intrusions, and OC symptoms are interrelated, prospective studies evaluating the directional hypotheses implied in the cognitive model are lacking. In the present longitudinal study, 76 first time expecting parents were followed through the postpartum. Results indicated that the tendency to negatively interpret the presence and meaning of unwanted intrusive infant-related thoughts early in the postpartum period (3-4 weeks) mediated the relationship between pre-childbirth obsessive-beliefs and late postpartum (12 weeks) OC symptoms. Results are discussed in terms of their theoretical and treatment implications.

The role of cognitive factors in the pathogenesis of obsessive-compulsive symptoms: a prospective study.

Cognitive models of obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) posit that specific kinds of dysfunctional beliefs (e.g., pertaining to responsibility and the significance of intrusive thoughts) underlie the development of this disorder. The present study was designed to prospectively evaluate whether dysfunctional beliefs thought to underlie OCD act as a specific vulnerability factor in the pathogenesis of obsessive-compulsive symptomatology. Eighty-five individuals were prospectively followed over a period of time thought to be associated with an increased onset of OCD symptoms -- childbirth and the postpartum. The majority of these new mothers and fathers experienced intrusive infant-related thoughts and performed neutralizing behaviors similar to, but less severe than, those observed in OCD. Scores on a measure of dysfunctional beliefs thought to underlie OCD predicted the development of obsessive-compulsive symptoms after controlling for pre-existing OCD symptoms, anxiety, and depression. Dysfunctional beliefs also predicted the severity of checking, washing, and obsessional OCD symptom dimensions, but not neutralizing, ordering, or hoarding symptom dimensions. These data provide evidence for specific dysfunctional beliefs as risk factors in the development of some types of OCD symptoms.

Sleep-disordered breathing: implications for the pathophysiology and management of cardiovascular disease.

Sleep apnea is increasingly associated with risk of cardiovascular disease, including arrhythmia, heart failure, stroke, ischemic heart disease, and hypertension. Diagnosis and treatment of sleep apnea and the implications for cardiovascular disease are discussed.

Plasma levels of adiponectin, a novel adipocyte-derived hormone, in sleep apnea.

OBJECTIVE: Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is associated with obesity, sympathetic activation, systemic inflammation, and cardiovascular morbidity. Obesity, beta-adrenergic agonists, and inflammation are linked to decreased expression and/or secretion of an adipose tissue-derived antiatherogenic hormone, adiponectin. The purpose of the study was to investigate whether OSA affected plasma levels of adiponectin, which might help explain OSA-associated cardiovascular morbidity. RESEARCH METHODS AND PROCEDURES: We randomly selected 68 otherwise healthy male subjects, either with moderate/severe OSA [apnea-hypopnea index (AHI)>or=20; n=35] or without OSA (AHI