Hikmet Yilmaz

Sleep actigraphy evidence of improved sleep after treatment of allergic rhinitis

BACKGROUND Children with allergic rhinitis (AR) are reported to have disturbed sleep and daytime fatigue due to nasal obstruction. OBJECTIVE To evaluate sleep impairment in children with AR using actigraphic evaluation. METHODS Fourteen children aged 7 to 16 years with grass pollen-sensitized seasonal AR were enrolled. They completed the Total 4-Symptom Score (T4SS) scoring system for AR symptom score and the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) questionnaire for sleep quality, and they underwent actigraphy for 3 days in the pretreatment period. After topical corticosteroid and antihistaminic treatment for 8 weeks, actigraphy, the T4SS, and the PSQI were repeated. Fourteen healthy children aged 8 to 16 years underwent actigraphy and completed the PSQI questionnaire as controls. RESULTS There were no significant age or sex differences between the AR and control groups. Pretreatment PSQI and actigraphy scores were worse in the AR group vs the control group. After treatment, sleep quality improved, and there were no differences in actigraphy and PSQI scores between the 2 groups. Before treatment, the T4SS was significantly correlated with the sleep efficiency, daytime napping episodes, and total nap duration variables of actigraphy (r = -0.53, P = .004; r = 0.43, P = .02; and r = 0.39, P = .04, respectively). The T4SS was correlated with the total PSQI score (r = 0.67, P < .001). CONCLUSIONS Sleep can be compromised in children with AR. There is a significant correlation of clinical symptom score with the actigraphic and PSQI variables. Therefore, actigraphy may be used as an objective tool to evaluate sleep disturbance in children with AR.

Safety and efficacy of pitolisant on cataplexy in patients with narcolepsy: a randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial

BACKGROUND Histaminergic neurons are crucial to maintain wakefulness, but their role in cataplexy is unknown. We assessed the safety and efficacy of pitolisant, a histamine H3 receptor inverse agonist, for treatment of cataplexy in patients with narcolepsy. METHODS For this randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial we recruited patients with narcolepsy from 16 sleep centres in nine countries (Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Hungary, Macedonia, Poland, Russia, Serbia, Turkey, and Ukraine). Patients were eligible if they were aged 18 years or older, diagnosed with narcolepsy with cataplexy according to version two of the International Classification of Sleep Disorders criteria, experienced at least three cataplexies per week, and had excessive daytime sleepiness (defined as an Epworth Sleepiness Scale score ≥12). We used a computer-generated sequence via an interactive web response system to randomly assign patients to receive either pitolisant or placebo once per day (1:1 ratio). Randomisation was done in blocks of four. Participants and investigators were masked to treatment allocation. Treatment lasted for 7 weeks: 3 weeks of flexible dosing decided by investigators according to efficacy and tolerance (5 mg, 10 mg, or 20 mg oral pitolisant), followed by 4 weeks of stable dosing (5 mg, 10 mg, 20 mg, or 40 mg). The primary endpoint was the change in the average number of cataplexy attacks per week as recorded in patient diaries (weekly cataplexy rate [WCR]) between the 2 weeks of baseline and the 4 weeks of stable dosing period. Analysis was by intention to treat. This trial is registered with ClinicalTrials.gov, number NCT01800045. FINDINGS The trial was done between April 19, 2013, and Jan 28, 2015. We screened 117 patients, 106 of whom were randomly assigned to treatment (54 to pitolisant and 52 to placebo) and, after dropout, 54 patients from the pitolisant group and 51 from the placebo group were included in the intention-to-treat analysis. The WCR during the stable dosing period compared with baseline was decreased by 75% (WCRfinal=2·27; WCRbaseline=9·15; WCRfinal/baseline=0·25) in patients who received pitolisant and 38% (WCRfinal=4·52; WCRbaseline=7·31; WCRfinal/baseline=0·62) in patients who received placebo (rate ratio 0·512; 95% CI 0·43-0·60, p<0·0001). Treatment-related adverse events were significantly more common in the pitolisant group than in the placebo group (15 [28%] of 54 vs 6 [12%] of 51; p=0·048). There were no serious adverse events, but one case of severe nausea in the pitolisant group. The most frequent adverse events in the pitolisant group (headache, irritability, anxiety, and nausea) were mild or moderate except one case of severe nausea. No withdrawal syndrome was detected following pitolisant treatment; one case was detected in the placebo group. INTERPRETATION Pitolisant was well tolerated and efficacious in reducing cataplexy. If confirmed in long-term studies, pitolisant might constitute a useful first-line therapy for cataplexy in patients with narcolepsy, for whom there are currently few therapeutic options. FUNDING Bioprojet, France.

Effect of CPAP therapy on catathrenia and OSA: a case report and review of the literature

IntroductionCatathrenia is a rare, idiopathic, sleep-related respiratory condition characterized by irregular groans, which occur during prolonged expiration in sleep. The origins of catathrenia remain inexplicable, the long-term prognosis unexplained. Moreover, empirical treatment with neither pharmacological nor non-pharmacological approaches was satisfactory.Case reportWe report a case of catathrenia with concurrent obstructive sleep apnea complicated with pulmonary hypertension and reviewed the literature.DiscussionTreatment with nasal continuous positive airway pressure resulted in marked improvement of catathrenia, obstructive sleep apnea, daytime dyspnea, and pulmonary hypertension for our patient. We think that nasal continuous positive airway pressure can be an option for the treatment of this infrequent but sometimes very disturbing sleep disorder.

Prevalence of insomnia and its clinical correlates in a general population in Turkey.

The prevalence of insomnia is influenced by environmental factors. This study aimed to investigate the prevalence of insomnia and its sociodemographic and clinical correlates in a general population‐based survey in Turkey.

Assessment of Sleep-Related Breathing Disorders in Patients With Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy

Background Respiratory failure is a significant cause of morbidity and mortality in neuromuscular diseases. Although clinical findings and respiratory function tests aid in diagnosing sleep-related breathing disorders, polysomnography is the gold standard for the diagnosis of these disorders. We aimed to investigate the role of sleep-wake symptoms and clinical findings of patients with Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) in predicting sleep-related breathing disorders through the comparison of polysomnography findings. In addition, we evaluated the sleep architecture of our patients. Methods A total of 35 children (12 patients with DMD and 23 controls) were included in this cross-sectional study. Activity status and clinical severity of the patients were determined by history and clinical findings such as scoliosis, obesity. All subjects were hospitalized for one night in the Sleep Unit and their polysomnography examinations were performed. Sleep, breathing, arousals and limb movements were scored manually according to the American Sleep Disorders Association criteria. Results Nocturnal and daytime symptoms were present in 50% of patients with DMD, 40.8% were wheelchair-bound and 58% had scoliosis. Obstructive sleep apnea was noted in 16.6% of patients with DMD. The apnea-hypopnea index, leg movement index were significantly higher in the DMD group as compared to the control group (P < 0.05). The number of desaturations, total arousal index and the percentage of total superficial sleep were significantly higher in patients with wheelchair, scoliosis, sleep-wake symptoms. Conclusions Being wheelchair-bound or having scoliosis do not predict sleep-related breathing disorders, so patients with DMD should be followed-up via polysomnography. Sleep-wake symptoms should be carefully questioned in these patients and symptomatic patients should be referred to pediatric respiratory units.

Effects of oestrogen replacement therapy on pattern reversal visual evoked potentials.

As a result of a regression in the ovarian functions, oestrogen level in circulation during the menopause drops to 1/50 of its value in the normal reproductive cycle. Excitatory oestrogen increases the sensitivity of the central nervous system to catecholamines by changing the opening frequency of voltage‐related L‐type calcium channels and augmenting the effect of glutamate; in addition it inhibits the formation of gamma‐amino butyric acid (GABA) by the inhibition of glutamate decarboxylase enzyme. It is argued that oestrogen increases transmission in the optic pathways and that oestrogen is responsible for the shorter latency values and higher amplitudes of visual evoked potentials in women. We recorded the monocular pattern reversal visual evoked potentials (PRVEP) of both eyes of 54 post‐menopausal women before treatment and of 30 of them after replacement therapy with Tibolon, and of 24 women receiving placebo treatment. The explicit values of P100 latency of right and left eyes before treatment were 98.8 ± 3.5 and 99.0 ± 3.3 ms, respectively. The explicit values of P100 latency of right and left eyes after placebo treatment were 98.6 ± 3.7 and 98.8 ± 4.0, respectively. The explicit values of P100 latency of right and left eyes after replacement treatment were 94.6 ± 3.7 and 94.8 ± 4.0, respectively. We found a statistically significant decrease in the mean PRVEP latencies and a statistically significant increase in mean amplitudes after replacement treatment (P < 0.001) compared with those before treatment and those after placebo treatment. We attributed the changes in PRVEP values after replacement treatment to the action of Tibolon, which acted as a natural sex steroid and speeded the visual transmission time via the widespread receptors in the central nervous system. It is concluded that PRVEP is an objective electrophysiological assessment method in evaluating the efficiency of hormone replacement therapy in post‐menopausal women.

Sleep disturbances after cardiac surgery with or without elevated S100B levels.

Objective — The aim of the study was to investigate sleep disturbances of cardiac surgery patients with or without elevated S100B levels. Methods and results — Twenty-two patients with serum S100B > 0.3 μg/l (study group) 12 hours after cardiac surgery with cardiopulmonary bypass and 23 patients with serum S100B < 0.3 (control group) were investigated in a prospective study. They were evaluated with the use of objective sleep tests. Cardiopulmonary bypass has negatively affected the sleep characteristics in the postoperative period for both groups. Maintenance wakefulness test, total sleep time, total activity score and sleep efficiency scores were significantly shorter in the study group in the postoperative period. Sleep latency, percentage of wakefulness after sleep onset, daytime napping episodes and total nap duration in the same period were significantly higher than in the control group. Conclusion — Cardiac surgery affects a patient’s sleep characteristics. Patients with elevated S100B values have more sleep disturbances after cardiac surgery than patients with normal S100B values.

Objective and subjective characteristics of sleep after coronary artery bypass graft surgery in the early period: a prospective study with healthy subjects.

BACKGROUND The purpose of this study was to investigate changes in sleep characteristics by examining both subjective tests and objective parameters such as actigraphic sleep analysis in patients who underwent coronary artery bypass graft surgery (CABG). PATIENTS AND METHODS Forty-five patients who underwent CABG operations and did not have any sleep disturbance were examined. They were evaluated by subjective and objective sleep parameters at the beginning of the examination and on the fifth postoperative day. Forty healthy subjects who did not undergo the operation were also evaluated. RESULTS The Pittsburgh Index and Epworth values in the postoperative group were significantly higher, but Maintenance of Wakefulness Test lengths were significantly shorter than in the preoperative and control groups. Sleep latency, napping episodes, total napping periods, and fragmentation index values of the postoperative group were significantly higher, but sleep efficiency values were significantly lower than in the preoperative and control groups. CONCLUSION The cause of sleeplessness after CABG surgery may be the temporary deterioration of circulation in the centers of the brain stem and hypothalamus, which control sleep and awakening. It can be proposed that the improvement of the circulation in these centers a couple of months after the operation help to regain sleep control, and thus sleep disturbances disappear.

Opening the cardiac chambers does not make any difference in p300 measurement.

OBJECTIVE Cognitive brain dysfunction after open heart surgery is a serious complication caused by cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB). The presence of gaseous and/or particulate emboli in the CPB circuit and cerebral hypoperfusion may be the causes of neurologic problems after cardiac operations. METHODS In this prospective study we examined 42 consecutive cardiac surgery patients (24 mitral valve replacement [MVR] and 18 coronary artery bypass grafting [CABG] patients). In addition to determination of clinical measurements, cognitive brain function was measured objectively by P300 auditory-evoked potentials before operation, at day 7, and at 4-month follow-up. Electroencephalographic evaluations were also performed. RESULTS In preoperative measures there was no difference between the groups (peak latencies in the MVR group were 324 +/- 8 milliseconds; CABG group, 318 +/- 6 milliseconds; P > .05). At day 7, cognitive P300 auditory-evoked potentials were significantly impaired (prolonged) in both groups compared to preoperative values (MVR group, 347 +/- 7 milliseconds; CABG group, 342 +/- 7 milliseconds; P < .05). P300 measurements almost returned to normal at 4-month follow-up (MVR group, 331 +/- 6 milliseconds; CABG group, 319 +/- 8 milliseconds; P > .05 compared to preoperative values). One week and 4 months after surgery no difference between the 2 groups could be found (P > .05). CONCLUSION Postoperative patients had prolonged P300 values according to the preoperative measurements and we have not found any difference between the groups whether cardiac chambers were opened or not.

Absenteeism and Delay to Work Due to Sleep Disorders in the Turkish Adult Population: A Questionnaire-Based National Survey

Sleep problems may have negative effects on work–life balance, overall health, and safety. We aimed to investigate the association between sleep disorders and absenteeism and delay to work (being late or tardy) among the working adult population. The study was conducted by using data from a large survey of working adults who participated in the Turkish Adult Population Epidemiology of Sleep Study (TAPES) managed by Turkish Sleep Medicine Society (TSMS). Secondary analyses was employed to examine absenteeism and delay to work and their associations with sleep problems, including sleepiness by Epworth Sleepiness Scale (ESS), parasomnias, sleep apnea (by Berlin Questionnaire), sleep quality (by Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index), and restless leg. History of any absenteeism and delay to work was observed in 276 (18%) and 443 (29%) out of 1,533 working adults, respectively. In the multivariate analyses, absenteeism was associated with younger age, female gender and poor sleep quality, while delay to work was associated with younger age, poor sleep quality, parasomnia, and sleepiness. In the presence of absenteeism and delay to work, sleep disorders including sleepiness, poor sleep quality, and parasomnia should be considered. Such evaluation may improve worker well-being and provide some additional benefits in terms of increasing productivity and lowering work-related costs.