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Biomedical subjects

J K Walsh

Publications and source records attributed to J K Walsh.

At least 37 records · Page 2Linked to original sources
PubMed1992

Sleepiness/alertness on a simulated night shift schedule and morningness-eveningness tendency.

This study examined the influence of morningness-eveningness on night shift sleepiness in 15 subjects. Sleepiness was assessed during a five-night protocol involving the multiple sleep latency test (MSLT), repeated test of sustained wakefulness (RTSW) and the Stanford Sleepiness Scale (SSS). Daytime sleep was estimated by sleep diaries and wrist actigraphy. The sample was divided by median score on the Horne and Ostberg Morningness-Eveningness Questionnaire. Physiological sleep tendency was significantly worse between 0030 and 0430 hours for the Morning Tendency group than for the Non-Morning Tendency group. The Morning Tendency group reported obtaining less daytime sleep than the Non-Morning Tendency group; however, there was no difference between groups in total daytime sleep estimated by actigraphy. This preliminary study suggests that morning types are sleepier during night shift hours than non-morning types.

Adult↗
PubMed1992

Simulated assembly line performance following ingestion of cetirizine or hydroxyzine.

Twelve healthy subjects participated in three daytime work periods, in a double-blind repeated measures Latin square design. Subjects received cetirizine (10 mg), hydroxyzine (25 mg), or placebo at 0800. Performance was measured each day during eight 50-minute test periods on a simulated assembly line task between 0830 and 1700. Before entry into the study, subjects were trained to a minimum 80% correction rate on the performance task. Performance decrements were consistently associated with hydroxyzine but not with cetirizine. Subjects made fewer correct responses with hydroxyzine compared with both cetirizine and placebo. Subjectively, participants reported feeling sleepier and performing worse during the hydroxyzine condition than following placebo. Cetirizine, however, did not differ from the other two conditions on self-assessments of alertness or performance. These findings support the hypothesis that objective measures of human functioning are more specific than are subjective measures.

Adult↗
PubMed1992

Trends in the pharmacologic treatment of insomnia.

Data from the National Disease and Therapeutic Index for the time period 1987-1991 (IMS, America) were examined for recent trends in the pharmacologic treatment of insomnia. All medications given with the desired action of promoting sleep or sedation at night were categorized as benzodiazepine hypnotics, benzodiazepine nonhypnotics, antidepressants, or other. From 1987 to 1991, the following trends were found: (1) overall pharmacologic treatment for insomnia decreased by approximately 10%, (2) use of benzodiazepine hypnotics fell about 30% during this time period, (3) use of antidepressants for insomnia increased by 100%, and (4) the noted changes were somewhat stronger for institutionalized patients than for ambulatory patients. These changes in the pharmacologic treatment of insomnia may be related to widespread media attention and are not supported by scientific data.

Adult↗
PubMed1991

Sedative effects of ethanol at night.

The sedative effect of 0.7 g/kg of 100% ethanol, ingested at 9:30 PM, was investigated to examine the combined effects of ethanol and circadian sleepiness/alertness levels. Fourteen healthy young adults participated in a placebo-controlled, double-blind crossover design. Each subject, on two separate occasions (placebo or ethanol), completed multiple sleep latency testing and the repeated test of sustained wakefulness as objective measures of physiological sleep tendency, and completed the Stanford Sleepiness Scale as a measure of subjective sleepiness. The results indicate that a moderate dose of ethanol significantly increases physiological sleepiness during early morning hours even in individuals that are relatively alert at these times. Therefore, the marked reduction in alertness and related performance deficits that normally occur at night are worsened by ethanol ingestion. Sleepiness, due to any cause, and ethanol may well be a dangerous combination.

Adult↗
PubMed1991

Triazolam diminishes daytime sleepiness and sleep fragmentation in patients with periodic leg movements in sleep.

Fifteen subjects (9 men and 6 women) exhibiting objective evidence of excessive daytime somnolence and periodic leg movements in sleep underwent 4-7 days of treatment with triazolam (0.25 or 0.50 mg) and placebo in a double-blind crossover design. One night of polysomnography followed by daytime multiple sleep latency testing were conducted on the first and last days of each treatment block. By the last day of treatment, the mean multiple sleep latency test score after triazolam (9.0 minutes) was significantly greater than that after placebo (5.7 minutes). Thus, triazolam treatment led to a decrease in daytime somnolence. Triazolam also improved sleep architecture and continuity; it increased total sleep time, decreased the number of awakenings and arousals, and decreased stage 1 and increased stage 2 percentages. Although the frequency of periodic electromyographic bursts remained unchanged, the frequency of associated arousals decreased after treatment. Short-term treatment with triazolam is thus effective in diminishing daytime sleepiness and in improving sleep architecture, continuity and duration in patients with periodic leg movements in sleep. These effects do not seem to be mediated through a decrease in periodic leg movement activity.

Adult↗
PubMed1991

Sleepiness/alertness on a simulated night shift following sleep at home with triazolam.

Physiological sleep tendency during a simulated night shift schedule was examined in 15 middle-aged subjects following daytime sleep after administration of triazolam or placebo. A double-blind, counterbalanced, crossover design involving two tours of five laboratory nights and four daytime home sleep periods was used. Triazolam lengthened daytime sleep as measured by wrist actigraph and improved nighttime alertness as measured by the MSLT. Sleepiness was most profound during the early morning hours (0430 to 0630) but improved significantly across nights for both conditions. Repeated test of sustained wakefulness latencies and simulated assembly line task performance decreased slightly across the night, but there were no significant condition effects. Subjective data tended to support objective measures, although Stanford Sleepiness Scale ratings indicated that subjects did not perceive improved alertness at night after triazolam-aided daytime sleep.

Adult↗
PubMed1990

Role of hypnotic drugs in general practice.

General practice physicians commonly deal with patients who report experiencing insomnia. Advances in our understanding of insomnia should result in much more effective diagnosis and therapeutic intervention for insomnia patients at the primary care level. This presentation highlights the new knowledge of insomnia pertinent to general practice physicians and discusses the rational use of hypnotic medications in primary care.

Anti-Anxiety Agents↗
PubMed1990

Effect of caffeine on physiological sleep tendency and ability to sustain wakefulness at night.

Marked sleepiness occurs during typical night shift work hours and this reduced alertness is associated with marked performance deficits. The effect of caffeine (versus placebo) upon sleepiness at night was studied using objective measures of physiological sleep tendency and ability to sustain wakefulness. Both measures show caffeine to reduce sleepiness at a single dose roughly the equivalent of two to four cups of coffee. Despite impressive objective differences in alertness with caffeine, subjects did not consistently differentiate between drug conditions on subjective alertness assessments. The use of CNS stimulants to promote alertness during night shift hours should be considered, particularly for occupations for which alertness is critical.

Adult↗
PubMed1990

The surgical treatment of snoring: a patient's perspective.

An increasing number of loud snorers seek medical attention because of the social impact of snoring as well as its association with sleep apnea. Uvulopalatopharyngoplasty is reported to reduce or eliminate snoring in the majority of patients; however, little data are available to document the procedure's success. From February 1987 through August 1988, 125 patients underwent uvulopalatopharyngoplasty for habitual snoring; many of these patients had also documented sleep apnea. Of the 74 patients who responded to a postoperative questionnaire, 64 (86.48%) indicated that their snoring was either completely eliminated or markedly reduced. Only two patients reported significant side effects.

Adult↗
PubMed1990

Effects of uvulopalatopharyngoplasty on sleep architecture and patterns of obstructed breathing.

In this retrospective study, 72 obstructive sleep apnea patients with polysomnograms taken before and after uvulopalatopharyngoplasty were evaluated. Postoperatively, there was a significant improvement of sleep architecture and respiratory indices. In addition, a second group of 17 patients also had position recordings with their polysomnograms. Time spent in supine and lateral sleep positions changed postoperatively. There was significant decrease of the apnea plus hypopnea index in the lateral position. This study indicates that there is significant improvement of sleep architecture and respiratory indices in the majority of patients after uvulopalatopharyngoplasty, particularly in the lateral sleep position.

Female↗
PubMed1990

Characteristics of narcolepsy in preteenaged children.

Narcolepsy is rarely diagnosed in preteenaged children. Its clinical and polysomnographic manifestations, some of which are unusual, are described in four children who were observed prospectively. The mean age at onset of hypersomnia was 10.2 years (range 8.4 to 11.2 years). Daytime naps among these children were lengthy, ranging from 20 to 120 minutes, and generally were considered unrefreshing. Cataplexy was present at the onset in all four children. Three of the four children were obese, with the concurrent nocturnal snoring prompting a misleading concern about obstructive sleep apnea syndrome in two children. The histocompatibility DR2 antigen was present in all four children. Significant behavioral manifestations appeared in all of them. The response to stimulant medications was, at best, modest. Narcolepsy may be difficult to diagnose in this age group. However, a careful history eliciting sleep/wake dysfunction (including cataplexy), leukocyte assays for the histocompatibility DR2 antigen, and serial polysomnographic studies may enable early recognition and treatment of this disease.

Cataplexy↗
PubMed1989

Physiological sleep tendency and ability to maintain alertness at night.

The maintenance of wakefulness test (MWT) and repeated test of sustained wakefulness (RTSW) were compared to the multiple sleep latency test (MSLT) during nighttime hours to evaluate differential sensitivity to variation in physiologic sleepiness/alertness. The degree of sleepiness varied by time of night and was further manipulated by varying prior sleep. Seven healthy normal sleepers were evaluated on the MWT, RTSW, MSLT, a digit symbol substitution test and the Wilkinson addition test in a protocol beginning at 2200 h and terminating at 0830 the following morning. A counterbalanced, crossover design compared an evening nap condition to a no-nap condition. The MWT and RTSW discriminated between nap and no-nap conditions, but the MSLT did not. This suggests that in some situations the MWT and RTSW may be more sensitive to changes in physiologic sleepiness/alertness than the MSLT. The data are discussed in terms of possible methodologic limits of the MSLT and the relationship between physiologic sleep tendency and the capacity to maintain alertness.

Adult↗
PubMed1989

Presleep cognitive hyperarousal and affect as factors in objective and subjective insomnia.

The role of presleep cognition in insomnia was studied in normal sleepers and insomniacs with either (1) psychophysiological insomnia, an objective disorder of initiating and maintaining sleep (DIMS), or (2) DIMS without objective findings (subjective insomnia), as defined by two nights' polysomnographic baseline data. During the experimental night in the sleep laboratory, 24 subjects were interviewed at intervals during the presleep/sleep-onset period. Judges' ratings of subjects' spontaneous reports and subjects' responses to questionnaire items were analyzed for cognitive quality. Objective insomniacs had more frequent cognitive activity than the subjective insomniacs. Both insomnia groups reported more negative thoughts than the controls. Cognitive hyperarousal as a factor in objective insomnia was not clearly supported.

Adult↗
PubMed1989

The predictive efficacy of the Müller maneuver in uvulopalatopharyngoplasty.

Flexible pharyngoscopy with the Müller maneuver has been proposed as a method for selection of uvulopalatopharyngoplasty candidates. In this prospective study, its predictive efficacy has been evaluated in 24 consecutive obstructive sleep apnea patients undergoing uvulopalatopharyngoplasty. FPMM enabled us to accurately predict the uvulopalatopharyngoplasty outcome in 12 of the 24 patients (50%). Although flexible pharyngoscopy with the Müller maneuver appears to be helpful in the selection of candidates for UPP, its distinct predictive efficacy is low.

Adult↗
PubMed1988

Physiological sleep tendency on a simulated night shift: adaptation and effects of triazolam.

Daytime sleep and nocturnal sleepiness were examined in 18 normal sleepers (9 young adults, 9 middle-age adults) for 5.5 days following acute sleep/wake schedule inversion. Triazolam and placebo were compared in a counterbalanced, crossover design. Triazolam improved daytime sleep, but did not produce significant changes in sleep tendency at night. Physiological sleep tendency in the early morning hours (0200 to 0600) was profound, but decreased significantly within 3 to 4 days following sleep/wake inversion, irrespective of treatment condition. Nocturnal performance data generally were consistent with changes in physiological sleep tendency. We conclude that extending daytime sleep by an average of approximately 50 min per day via administration of a hypnotic does not appear to significantly reduce circadian sleep tendency in the early morning hours. Further, considerable adaptation, in terms of sleep tendency, occurred within a weak of simulated night shift despite a relatively constant daytime sleep pattern.

Adult↗
PubMed1988

Management of obstructive sleep apnea: comparison of various treatment modalities.

From July, 1982 through March, 1986, 253 patients with moderate to severe sleep apnea (OSA) were treated and had polysomnographic assessment of treatment. The treatment modalities were: 1. uvulopalatopharyngoplasty (UPP), 2. nasal continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP), 3. tracheostomy, 4. medication (tricyclic antidepressants), 5. tongue retaining device (TRD), and 6. orthodontic device. Uvulopalatopharyngoplasty was performed in 98 patients. The patients were categorized according to post-treatment improvement in the apnea/hypopnea index (A+HI) and severity index (SI) into good, moderate, and poor responders. There were 37 (37.7%) good, 33 (33.6%) moderate, and 28 (28.5%) poor responders in this group. Twenty-four patients underwent tracheostomy. Eighteen (75%) patients continue to have their tracheostomies without complications (mean follow-up time 32 months). One hundred thirty-eight patients were evaluated with CPAP. Of the 100 patients who began home CPAP use, 53 continue to use CPAP successfully at 18 months. Medical treatment (tricyclic antidepressants) was used in 35 patients. The response to this modality was generally poor. Six patients were fitted with TRD. The compliance to this device was poor, although two have had significant improvement in their apnea. An orthodontic appliance was used in two patients with one responding successfully.

Antidepressive Agents, Tricyclic↗