Discrepancies between self-reported and device-measured sleep parameters in adults with multiple sclerosis

The relationships between multidimensional sleep health and work productivity in individuals with neurological conditions

Numerous studies have reported the negative impacts of poor sleep on work productivity in the general population. However, despite the known sleep issues that individuals living with neurological conditions experience, no study has explored its impact on their work productivity. Sleep health is a concept that includes multiple domains of sleep, measured with a combination of objective and subjective measures. Therefore, this study aimed to ascertain the associations between sleep health and its domains and work productivity in individuals with neurological conditions. Sleep health domains were determined through actigraphy data collected over 1 week and sleep questionnaires. Work productivity was assessed via the Work Productivity and Activity Impairment Questionnaire. A comparison of sleep health scores between demographic variables was performed using Mann-Whitney U and Kruskal-Wallis tests. Associations between the sleep health domains and work productivity were performed using linear regression models. There were no significant differences in sleep health scores between sex, smoking status, education level, employment status or any work productivity domain. Individuals with non-optimal sleep timing had greater absenteeism (22.99%) than the optimal group. Individuals with non-optimal sleep quality had an increase in presenteeism (30.85%), work productivity loss (26.44%) and activity impairment (25.81%) compared to those in the optimal group. The findings from this study highlight that self-reported sleep quality has the largest impact on work productivity. Improving individuals' sleep quality through triage for potential sleep disorders or improving their sleep hygiene (sleep behaviour and environment) may positively impact work productivity.

The multidimensional sleep health of individuals with multiple sclerosis and Huntington's disease and healthy controls

STUDY OBJECTIVES

Sleep issues are common for people with neurodegenerative conditions, yet research has focused on specific aspects of sleep. While important, a more holistic approach to investigating sleep, termed "sleep health," considers sleep's positive and negative aspects. Current studies exploring sleep health have lacked a control group for reference. For the first time, this study investigated the sleep health of people living with multiple sclerosis and Huntington's disease (HD) and compared it with a community sample.

METHODS

111 people, including 43 with multiple sclerosis, 19 with HD, and 49 from a community sample, participated in this study. The data, including actigraphy, Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index, and Epworth Sleepiness Scale, were collected as part of ongoing research studies. Seven sleep health domains were determined from the collected data, and a composite sleep health score was developed. Analysis of variance and independent t tests were performed to identify population and sex differences.

RESULTS

The HD group had higher sleep regularity and lower sleep rhythmicity than the multiple sclerosis and community sample groups. The HD group had significantly less sleep duration than the multiple sclerosis group. No significant differences between the groups were observed in the sleep health composite score. Males had significantly higher sleep regularity within the HD group but significantly lower sleepiness scores in the community sample.

CONCLUSIONS

These findings indicate that people with HD may experience greater variance in their wake times, therefore decreasing the consistency of being awake or asleep 24 hours apart. Understanding the mechanisms for this should be explored in people with HD.

CITATION

Turner M, Griffiths M, Laws M, Vial S, Bartlett D, Cruickshank T. The multidimensional sleep health of individuals with multiple sclerosis and Huntington's disease and healthy controls. J Clin Sleep Med. 2024;20(6):967-972.

Self-reports by persons with multiple sclerosis are an adequate surrogate for healthcare provider data on disease-modifying therapy and multiple sclerosis type

INTRODUCTION

Self-reports are a valuable and cost-effective method of data collection, though they can be influenced by bias. Limited evidence exists on the quality of self-reports by persons with multiple sclerosis (pwMS), particularly since more potent disease-modifying therapies (DMTs) have been introduced. This study aimed to assess the reliability and validity of self-reported DMT use and multiple sclerosis (MS) type in the Swiss Multiple Sclerosis Registry (SMSR) by comparing self-reports with reimbursement approval requests from the Swiss Association for Joint Tasks of Health Insurers.

METHODS

The self-reported and reimbursement approval data were linked using privacy-preserving methods based on information available in both databases, i.e., date of birth, canton of residence, sex, and year of MS diagnosis. The SMSR baseline questionnaire data was utilized for the main analysis, while the SMSR follow-up survey data was utilized for the sensitivity analysis. For both analyses, we compared self-reported data with reimbursement approval data that corresponded to the respective periods of the SMSR data collection. Thus, the main analysis included the entirety of the data over the six-year period, while the sensitivity analysis captured a more recent snapshot of the data. To assess reliability, we estimated agreement using Cohen's kappa, and for validity, we estimated accuracy parameters using reimbursement approvals as the reference standard. Univariable and multivariable logistic regression models were employed to investigate factors associated with discordance between self-reports and reimbursement approvals in the main analysis.

RESULTS

The main analysis included 446 participants, and the sensitivity analysis included 193 participants. The agreement between self-reported and reimbursement approval data for medication use was near-perfect in both analyses (κ = 0.87, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.85, 0.90 and κ = 0.82, 95% CI 0.76, 0.88). However, the agreement between self-reported and reimbursement approval-documented MS types ranged from fair to moderate (κ = 0.37, 95% CI 0.25, 0.48 to κ = 0.61, 95% CI 0.46, 0.77). The accuracy estimates for self-reported DMT use were generally high (≥ 0.80) with narrow CIs, except for less frequently reported drugs. While the sensitivity and specificity for RRMS were high, there was a notable possibility of false-negative self-reports for RRMS (NPV = 0.33, 95% CI 0.22, 0.45), and false-positive reports for SPMS (PPV = 0.36, 95% CI 0.21, 0.54). Multivariable logistic regression models showed that age (OR = 1.07, 95% CI 1.04, 1.10 per year) and education level (OR = 0.27, 95% CI 0.11, 0.65) were associated with discordance in reported and documented MS types, whereas possession of Swiss citizenship (OR = 0.32, 95% CI 0.14, 0.72) was associated with discordance in DMT use.

CONCLUSION

Self-reported DMT use in pwMS is a reliable and valid information source, with near-perfect agreement and high accuracy. Self-reported MS types showed fair to moderate agreement and varying accuracy, likely reflecting the complexity of diagnosing progressive forms of MS and access to DMTs. In population-based MS research, self-reports of MS types, and particularly DMT use, can serve as a suitable surrogate for healthcare provider data.

Disease-modifying therapies do not affect sleep quality or daytime sleepiness in a large Australian MS cohort

BACKGROUND

Poor sleep is common in multiple sclerosis (MS) and may impact daily functioning. The extent to which disease-modifying therapies (DMTs) contribute to sleep outcomes is under-examined.

OBJECTIVE

To compare the effects of DMTs on sleep outcomes in an Australian cohort of people with MS and investigate associations between DMT use and beliefs about sleep problems and daily functioning (social functioning and activity engagement).

METHODS

Sleep outcomes were assessed using the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index and the Epworth Sleepiness Scale. DMT use and functioning were self-reported.

RESULTS

Of 1,715 participants, 64% used a DMT. No differences in sleep outcomes were detected between participants who did and did not use DMTs, the type of DMT used (lower vs higher efficacy, interferon-β vs other DMTs), the timing of administration, or adherence to standard administration recommendations. Beliefs that DMT use worsened sleep were associated with poorer sleep quality and perceptions that sleep problems interfered with daily functioning.

CONCLUSION

The use of a DMT does not appear to affect self-reported sleep outcomes in people with MS. However, beliefs that DMT use makes sleep worse were associated with poorer sleep quality and increased interference in daily functioning, suggesting a need for education to diminish negative perceptions of DMT use.

Discrepancies between self-report and objective sleep outcomes are associated with cognitive impairment and fatigue in people with multiple sclerosis and insomnia

OBJECTIVES

The primary aim of this study was to assess the degree to which discrepancies between self-reported and actigraphy-based measures of sleep are associated with specific demographic, disease characteristics, and clinical features in a sample of individuals with multiple sclerosis (MS) reporting clinically significant insomnia symptoms.

METHODS

Participants were 90 community-based participants with MS and insomnia. Measures included the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI), Beck Depression Inventory-Fast Screen (BDI-FS), Modified Fatigue Impact Scale (MFIS), and MS Neuropsychological Screening Questionnaire (MSNQ), and wrist actigraphy-derived sleep parameters. Discrepancy scores were calculated by subtracting actigraphy-derived values from PSQI-derived values for sleep latency (SL), total sleep time (TST), and sleep efficiency (SE).

RESULTS

Correlations between PSQI and actigraphy-derived values were weak. Significant discrepancies, with moderate-to-large effect sizes, were observed between PSQI and actigraphy for SL, TST, and SE, whereby the PSQI yielded longer SL, shorter TST, and less SE than actigraphy. MSNQ elevations correlated with greater PSQI-actigraphy discrepancies in SL and TST. MFIS elevations correlated with greater discrepancies in TST. Discrepancies were not significantly related to BDI-FS, gender, race, education level, or MS type.

CONCLUSIONS

Results emphasize the importance of assessing fatigue with sleep, and when feasible, inclusion of both self-report and actigraphy measures.

Sleep Latency and Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder Among Retired Career Florida Firefighters: Evidence From the Advancing Epidemiology of Retired Firefighters Aging Longitudinally Cohort

OBJECTIVE

Our objective was to estimate the association of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and sleep latency among retired firefighters.

METHODS

Baseline health survey data collected from retried career Florida firefighters participating in an ongoing prospective cohort study from 2017 to 2021 were analyzed. Risk for PTSD was assessed using a four-item primary care PTSD screening construct, and sleep onset latency was assessed by self-reported length of time to fall asleep.

RESULTS

Among the 500 participants, 8.0% screened positive for PTSD risk and 37.6% had prolonged sleep onset latency (≥20 minutes to fall asleep). Retired firefighters with PTSD risk were 2.7 times more likely (adjusted odds ratio, 2.70; 95% confidence interval, 1.27-5.75) to have prolonged sleep latency compared with those without PTSD risk while controlling for covariates.

CONCLUSIONS

Retired firefighters who screen positive for PTSD risk are three times more likely to report delayed sleep onset latency.

Poor sleep and multiple sclerosis: associations with symptoms of multiple sclerosis and quality of life

BACKGROUND

Sleep difficulties are common in people with multiple sclerosis (MS), but whether associations between poor sleep quality and quality of life are independent of MS symptoms, obesity and other MS-related factors remains unclear.

METHODS

Cross-sectional analyses of data from the Australian MS Longitudinal Study (n=1717). Sleep was assessed using the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index, Epworth Sleepiness Scale and International Restless Legs Syndrome Study Group Rating Scale; health-related quality of life using the Assessment of Quality-of-Life 8-D.

RESULTS

Poor sleep quality was common (67%), and more common than in community samples. Sleep measures clustered independently within MS symptoms. The clusters 'fatigue and cognitive', 'feelings of anxiety and depression', 'pain and sensory', were independently associated with poor sleep quality. Quality-of-Life utility scores were a clinically meaningful 0.19 units lower in those with poor sleep. Sleep quality, daytime sleepiness and restless leg syndrome were associated with reduced quality of life, independent of MS-related symptoms and body mass index.

CONCLUSION

Poor sleep quality is common in MS and was strongly associated with worse health-related quality of life, independent of other MS symptoms and did not cluster with other common MS symptoms. Improving sleep quality may substantially improve quality of life in people with MS.