Sleep disorders presenting as psychiatric disorders

Differential Function of Melatonin MT1 and MT2 Receptors in REM and NREM Sleep

The pathophysiological function of the G-protein coupled melatonin MT1 and MT2 receptors has not yet been well-clarified. Recent advancements using selective MT1/ MT2 receptor ligands and MT1/MT2 receptor knockout mice have suggested that the activation of the MT1 receptors are mainly implicated in the regulation of rapid eye movement (REM) sleep, whereas the MT2 receptors selectively increase non-REM (NREM) sleep. Studies in mutant mice show that MT1 knockout mice have an increase in NREM sleep and a decrease in REM sleep, while MT2 knockout mice a decrease in NREM sleep. The localization of MT1 receptors is also distinct from MT2 receptors; for example, MT2 receptors are located in the reticular thalamus (NREM area), while the MT1 receptors in the Locus Coeruleus and lateral hypothalamus (REM areas). Altogether, these findings suggest that these two receptors not only have a very specialized function in sleep, but that they may also modulate opposing effects. These data also suggest that mixed MT1-MT2 receptors ligands are not clinically recommended given their opposite roles in physiological functions, confirmed by the modest effects of melatonin or MT1/MT2 non-selective agonists when used in both preclinical and clinical studies as hypnotic drugs. In sum, MT1 and MT2 receptors have specific roles in the modulation of sleep, and consequently, selective ligands with agonist, antagonist, or partial agonist properties could have therapeutic potential for sleep; while the MT2 agonists or partial agonists might be indicated for NREM-related sleep and/or anxiety disorders, the MT1 agonists or partial agonists might be so for REM-related sleep disorders. Furthermore, MT1 but not MT2 receptors seem involved in the regulation of the circadian rhythm. Future research will help further develop MT1 and/or MT2 receptors as targets for neuropsychopharmacology drug development.

In Search of a Safe Natural Sleep Aid

Sleep deprivation is associated with an elevated risk of various diseases and leads to a poor quality of life and negative socioeconomic consequences. Sleep inducers such as drugs and herbal medicines may often lead to dependence and other side effects. L-Theanine (γ-glutamylethylamide), an amino acid naturally found abundant in tea leaves, has anxiolytic effects via the induction of α brain waves without additive and other side effects associated with conventional sleep inducers. Anxiolysis is required for the initiation of high-quality sleep. In this study, we review the mechanism(s), safety, and efficacy of L-theanine. Collectively, sleep studies based on an actigraph, the obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) sleep inventory questionnaire, wakeup after sleep onset (WASO) and automatic nervous system (ANS) assessment, sympathetic and parasympathetic nerve activities, and a pediatric sleep questionnaire (PSQ) suggest that the administration of 200 mg of L-theanine before bed may support improved sleep quality not by sedation but through anxiolysis. Because L-theanine does not induce daytime drowsiness, it may be useful at any time of the day. The no observable adverse effect level (NOAEL) for the oral administration of L-theanine was determined to be above 2000 mg/kg bw/day. KEY TEACHING POINTS: Sleep deprivation-associated morbidity is an increasing public health concern posing a substantial socioeconomic burden. Chronic sleep disorders may seriously affect quality of life and may be etiological factors in a number of chronic diseases such as depression, obesity, diabetes, and cardiovascular diseases. Most sleep inducers are sedatives and are often associated with addiction and other side effects. L-Theanine promotes relaxation without drowsiness. Unlike conventional sleep inducers, L-theanine is not a sedative but promotes good quality of sleep through anxiolysis. This review suggests that L-theanine is a safe natural sleep aid.

Assessing sleep-wake complaints in school-aged children: portuguese properties and norms of the SWEL

The present paper aims to analyze psychometric features of the Portuguese Sleep Wake Experience List (SWEL), to obtain norms and data about key sleep complaints for children. This questionnaire evaluates chronic sleep problems categorizing them into six categories of sleep complaints. A total of 900 elementary school students (2nd to 4th grade), 485 girls (53.9%) and 415 boys (46.1%), aged between 7 and 10 years (M = 8.63; SD = .82) were included in this study. The results indicated a good reliability and validity of the questionnaire, making him suitable as a screening tool for epidemiological purposes. The study shows that sleep complaints (14.7%) are a frequent syndrome in school-aged children, and often not reported to the parents and/or physician. In conclusion, the results revealed that the SWEL is a reliable and valid screening instrument for identifying potential sleep problems in Portuguese school-aged children population.

Insomnia in women: an overlooked epidemic?

Insomnia is a common and significant healthcare problem, and affects a large percentage of women seen by general practitioners, obstetrician-gynecologists and mental health professionals. Specific risk factors for insomnia may be gender-related, including higher prevalence rates of depression and anxiety among women, environmental and social factors, as well as reproductive-related factors (e.g., peri-menstrual difficulties and menopause-related symptoms). Sleep problems interfere significantly with daytime functioning and overall well-being, and may lead to serious clinical consequences. Treatment options include benzodiazepines, non-benzodiazepines, nonprescription sleep aids, and non-pharmacologic interventions such as sleep hygiene measures. This article reviews the existing literature on the prevalence, clinical characteristics of insomnia in women, and highlights some of the treatment options available. Healthcare providers should be aware of the variety of pharmacologic and non-pharmacologic options for treatment of insomnia and, in particular, be able to weigh their efficacy against the risks of side effects and next-day sedation.

Nightmares, insomnia, and sleep-disordered breathing in fire evacuees seeking treatment for posttraumatic sleep disturbance

Eight months after the Cerro Grande Fire, 78 evacuees seeking treatment for posttraumatic sleep disturbances were assessed for chronic nightmares, psychophysiological insomnia, and sleep-disordered breathing symptoms. Within this sample, 50% of participants were tested objectively for sleep-disordered breathing; 95% of those tested screened positive for sleep-disordered breathing. Multiple regression analyses demonstrated that these three sleep disorders accounted for 37% of the variance in posttraumatic stress symptoms, and each sleep disorder was significantly and independently associated with posttraumatic stress symptoms severity. The only systematic variable associated with posttraumatic stress symptoms of avoidance was sleep-disordered breathing. The findings suggest that three common sleep disorders relate to posttraumatic stress symptoms in a more complex manner than explained by the prevailing psychiatric paradigm, which conceptualizes sleep disturbances in PTSD merely as secondary symptoms of psychiatric distress.

To breathe, perchance to sleep: sleep-disordered breathing and chronic insomnia among trauma survivors

Standard psychiatric classification (DSM-IV-TR) traditionally attributes post-traumatic sleep disturbance to a secondary or symptomatic feature of a primary psychiatric disorder. The DSM-IV-TR paradigm, however, has not been validated with objective sleep assessment technology, incorporated nosological constructs from the field of sleep disorders medicine, or adequately addressed the potential for post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) sleep problems to manifest as primary, physical disorders, requiring independent medical assessments and therapies. This paradigm may limit understanding of sleep problems in PTSD by promulgating such terms as "insomnia related to another mental disorder," a.k.a. "psychiatric insomnia." Emerging evidence invites a broader comorbidity perspective, based on recent findings that post-traumatic sleep disturbance frequently manifests with the combination of insomnia and a higher-than-expected prevalence of sleep-disordered breathing (SDB). In this model of complex sleep disturbance, the underlying sleep pathophysiology interacts with PTSD and related psychiatric distress; and this relationship appears very important as demonstrated by improvement in insomnia, nightmares, and post-traumatic stress with successful SDB treatment, independent of psychiatric interventions. Continuous positive airway pressure treatment in PTSD patients with SDB reduced electroencephalographic arousals and sleep fragmentation, which are usually attributed to central nervous system or psychophysiological processes. Related findings and clinical experience suggest that other types of chronic insomnia may also be related to SDB. We hypothesize that an arousal-based mechanism, perhaps initiated by post-traumatic stress and/or chronic insomnia, may promote the development of SDB in a trauma survivor and perhaps other patients with chronic insomnia. We discuss potential neurohormonal pathways and neuroanatomatical sites that may be involved in this proposed interaction between insomnia and SDB.

Sleep-disordered breathing, psychiatric distress, and quality of life impairment in sexual assault survivors

Using American Academy of Sleep Medicine research criteria, sleep-disordered breathing (SDB) was assessed in a pilot study of 187 sexual assault survivors with posttraumatic stress symptoms. Nightmares, sleep quality, distress, and quality of life were also assessed along with historical accounts of prior treatments for sleep complaints. Presumptive SDB diagnoses were established for 168 patients. Twenty-one of 168 underwent sleep testing, and all met objective SDB diagnostic criteria. There were no clinically meaningful differences in age, body-mass index, sleep quality, distress, or quality of life measures between 21 confirmed SDB cases and 147 suspected cases not tested. Compared with 19 women without SDB, 168 women with diagnosed or suspected SDB reported significantly worse nightmares, sleep quality, anxiety, depression, posttraumatic stress, and impaired quality of life. Despite suffering from sleep problems for an average of 20 years, which had not responded to repeated use of psychotropic medications or psychotherapy, few of these women had been referred to sleep specialists. SDB appears widespread among sexual assault survivors seeking help for nightmares. Research is needed to clarify the associations among SDB, distress, and physical and mental health impairment in trauma patients.

The relationship of sleep quality and posttraumatic stress to potential sleep disorders in sexual assault survivors with nightmares, insomnia, and PTSD

Sleep quality and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) were examined in 151 sexual assault survivors, 77% of whom had previously reported symptoms of sleep-disordered breathing (SDB) or sleep movement disorders (SMD) or both. Participants completed the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) and the Posttraumatic Stress Scale (PSS). High PSQI scores reflected extremely poor sleep quality and correlated with PSS scores. PSQI scores were greater in participants with potential SDB or SMD or both. PSQI or PSS scores coupled with body-mass index and use of antidepressants or anxiolytics predicted potential sleep disorders. The relationship between sleep and posttraumatic stress appears to be more complex than can be explained by the current PTSD paradigm; and, sleep breathing and sleep movement disorders may be associated with this complexity.

A retrospective study on improvements in nightmares and post-traumatic stress disorder following treatment for co-morbid sleep-disordered breathing

OBJECTIVE

To assess the impact of treatment for co-morbid sleep-disordered breathing (SDB) on patients with nightmares and post-traumatic stress.

METHODS

Twenty-three chronic nightmare sufferers (15 with post-traumatic stress disorder, PTSD) who also suffered co-morbid SDB (obstructive sleep apnea, OSA, n=16; upper airway resistance syndrome, UARS, n=7) completed a telephone interview, on average, 21 months after having been offered treatment for SDB at a university sleep disorders clinic.

RESULTS

At follow-up, 14 reported maintaining treatment (Treatment Group) and 9 reported discontinuing treatment (No-Treatment Group). More patients in the Treatment Group reported improvement in sleep (93% vs. 33%) and in daytime well being (93% vs. 33%) compared with those in the No-Treatment group. The Treatment Group reported a median improvement in nightmares of 85% compared with a median 10% worsening in the No-Treatment Group. In the PTSD subset (n=15), nine in the Treatment Group reported a median 75% improvement in PTSD symptoms whereas six in the No-Treatment Group reported a median 43% worsening.

CONCLUSION

In this small sample of patients, treatment of SDB was associated with improvements in nightmares and PTSD. Relationships between nightmares, PTSD and SDB are discussed.

Sleep Disorder, Depression, and Suicidality in Female Sexual Assault Survivors

The role of sleep in psychiatric illness in general, and depression and suicidality in particular, is poorly understood and has not been well researched despite the pervasiveness of sleep complaints in these conditions. As an exploratory, hypothesis-generating study, female sexual assault survivors with posttraumatic stress disorder (n = 153) who had enrolled in a nightmare-treatment program were assessed for subjectively determined sleep breathing and sleep movement disorders. Diagnoses of potential disorders were based on clinical practice parameters and research algorithms from the field of sleep disorders medicine. Potential sleep breathing and sleep movement disorders were present in 80% of the participants (n = 123) and included three subgroups: sleep-disordered breathing only (n = 23); sleep movement disorder only (n = 45); and both sleep disorders (n = 55). Based on the HamiltonDepression Rating Scale and Suicide subscale, participants with potential sleep disorders suffered greater depression (Cohen's d = .73-.96; p < .01) and greater suicidality (Cohen's d = .57-.78; p < .05) in comparison to participants without potential sleep disorders. The group with both sleep disorders suffered from the most severe depression and suicidality. A provisional hypothesis is formulated that describes how sleep disorders may exacerbate depression and suicidality through the effects of chronic sleep fragmentation.