Chronotype and metabolic syndrome in midlife: findings from the Northern Finland Birth Cohort 1966.

Evening chronotype is known to be associated with various chronic diseases and cardiovascular risk factors. Metabolic syndrome is a group of conditions that together raise the risk of coronary heart disease, diabetes, stroke, and other serious health problems. Only a few studies have been published on the association between chronotype and metabolic syndrome in unselected population data, with conflicting results.

Comparison and agreement between device-estimated and self-reported sleep periods in adults.

Objectives: Discriminating sleep period from accelerometer data remains a challenge despite many studies have adapted 24-h measurement protocols. We aimed to compare and examine the agreement among device-estimated and self-reported bedtime, wake-up time, and sleep periods in a sample of adults.

Materials And Methods: Participants (108 adults, 61 females) with an average age of 33.

Evening chronotype is associated with poor work ability and disability pensions at midlife: a Northern Finland Birth Cohort 1966 Study.

Objectives: This is the first general population study to evaluate whether evening chronotypes (E) have poorer work ability (WA) and higher probability for early disability pensions (DPs) than morning types (M) in middle age.

Methods: Among non-retired individuals (n=5831; 2672 men, 3159 women) of the Northern Finland Birth Cohort 1966, chronotype was determined at the age of 46 years with shortened Morningness-Eveningness Questionnaires in 2012. The outcomes were poor WA in 2012, indicated by scores 0-7/10 of Work Ability Score, and registered emergence of DPs in 2013-2016.

Chronotypes and objectively measured physical activity and sedentary time at midlife.

Morning, day, or evening chronotypes differ by the circadian timing of alertness and the preferred timing of sleep. It has been suggested that evening chronotype is associated with low physical activity (PA) and high sedentary time (SED). Our aim was to investigate whether such an association is confirmed by objectively measured PA and SED.

Training Load and Energy Expenditure during Military Basic Training Period.

Purpose: To compare training load and energy expenditure during an 8-wk military basic training (BT) period among individuals having different fitness level using objective measurements in an authentic environment.

Methods: Thirty-four voluntary male conscripts (age, 19.1 ± 0.

Validation of the Zung self-rating depression scale (SDS) in older adults.

The main objective of this study was to investigate the psychometric properties of the Zung Self-Rating Depression Scale (SDS) and evaluate screening parameters capability of the SDS with the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI-21) among the elderly population. Design: A population-based study Community 520 adults, aged 72-73 years, living in the city of Oulu, Finland. Main outcome measures: The screening parameters of the SDS questions and BDI-21 for detecting severity of depression.

Transcranial bright light and symptoms of jet lag: a randomized, placebo-controlled trial.

Background: Rapid travel over multiple time zones usually results in transient de-synchronization between environmental time and the biological clock of the individual. Common symptoms are increased daytime sleepiness, reduced sleep duration and quality, and performance impairments. Exposure to ocular bright light is known to alleviate jet lag symptoms and facilitate adaptation to a new time zone.

Transcranial bright light treatment via the ear canals in seasonal affective disorder: a randomized, double-blind dose-response study.

Background: Bright light treatment is effective for seasonal affective disorder (SAD), although the mechanisms of action are still unknown. We investigated whether transcranial bright light via the ear canals has an antidepressant effect in the treatment of SAD.

Methods: During the four-week study period, 89 patients (67 females; 22 males, aged 22-65, mean ± SD age: 43.

Effects of bright light treatment on psychomotor speed in athletes.

Purpose: A recent study suggests that transcranial brain targeted light treatment via ear canals may have physiological effects on brain function studied by functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) techniques in humans. We tested the hypothesis that bright light treatment could improve psychomotor speed in professional ice hockey players.

Methods: Psychomotor speed tests with audio and visual warning signals were administered to a Finnish National Ice Hockey League team before and after 24 days of transcranial bright light or sham treatment.

Transcranial bright light exposure via ear canals does not suppress nocturnal melatonin in healthy adults--a single-blind, sham-controlled, crossover trial.

We investigated whether transcranial bright light (TBL) affects nocturnal melatonin and cortisol secretion in sham-controlled crossover trial. Young healthy adults were exposed in random order to 24 minutes of TBL or sham exposure via ear canals at 01:10 h. Saliva and urine samples were collected hourly between 21 h-03 h and 06 h-09 h.

Can transcranial brain-targeted bright light treatment via ear canals be effective in relieving symptoms in seasonal affective disorder? A pilot study.

Bright light therapy (BLT) is widely accepted as first-line treatment of seasonal affective disorder (SAD). However, the mechanism of action of BLT is still widely unknown. On the other hand, in mammals, light penetrates the skull bone and reaches the brain, and extra ocular transcranial phototransduction has physiological influences such as changed reproductive cycles and increased brain serotonin levels.