Interaction between apolipoprotein E genotypes, excessive daytime sleepiness, and cognitive function in obstructive sleep apnea patients.

Background: Some studies show an association between the apolipoprotein E ε4 allele (ApoEε4) and obstructive sleep apnea syndrome (OSAS), and other studies, an association between ApoEε4 and excessive daytime sleepiness (EDS), but there are no data in the literature on the interaction between EDS, cognitive function, and ApoEε4 in patients with OSA.

Objective: To examine the cognitive function of adults with and without EDS and with and without ApoEε4.

Methods: A total of 21 male and female patients aged between 33 and 79 years, underwent a clinical interview, ApoE genotyping, neuropsychological evaluation, polysomnography, and the application of the Epworth Sleepiness Scale.

Brazilian consensus on guidelines for diagnosis and treatment for restless legs syndrome.

The Consensus on restless legs syndrome is an effort of neurologists from several Brazilian states, which tirelessly reviewed the literature of recent years in search of evidence, both in regard to diagnosis and treatment, according to the Oxford Centre for Evidence-based Medicine.

Human longevity is associated with regular sleep patterns, maintenance of slow wave sleep, and favorable lipid profile.

Some individuals are able to successfully reach very old ages, reflecting higher adaptation against age-associated effects. Sleep is one of the processes deeply affected by aging; however few studies evaluating sleep in long-lived individuals (aged over 85) have been reported to date. The aim of this study was to characterize the sleep patterns and biochemical profile of oldest old individuals (N = 10, age 85-105 years old) and compare them to young adults (N = 15, age 20-30 years old) and older adults (N = 13, age 60-70 years old).

Relationship between structural abnormalities in the cerebellum and dementia, posttraumatic stress disorder and bipolar disorder.

Unlabelled: New evidence suggests that the cerebellum has structural and functional abnormalities in psychiatric disorders.

Objective: In this research, the goal was to measure the volume of the cerebellum and its subregions in individuals with psychiatric disorders and to relate these findings to their symptoms.

Methods: Patients with different degrees of cognitive impairment (Epidemiology of the Elderly - UNIFESP) and patients with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) from population studies were analyzed.

Cerebellar volume in patients with dementia.

Objective: The aim of this study was to examine the cerebellar volume of subjects at different stages of Alzheimer's disease and to investigate whether volume reductions in this structure are related to cognitive decline.

Method: Ninety-six subjects from an epidemiological study were submitted to a magnetic resonance imaging scan and evaluated using the Mini-Mental State Examination and the Functional Activities Questionnaire. Subjects were divided into five groups according to the Clinical Dementia Rating scale.

Sedative antidepressants and insomnia.

Objective: The present review addresses the relationship between sleep and depression and how serotonergic transmission is implicated in both conditions.

Method: Literature searches were performed in the PubMed and MedLine databases up to March 2010. The terms searched were "insomnia", "depression", "sedative antidepressants" and "serotonin".

[The newer sedative-hypnotics].

There has been a search for more effective and safe hypnotic drugs in the last decades. Zolpidem, zaleplon, zopiclone, eszopiclone (the z-drugs) and indiplon are GABA-A modulators which bind selectively α1 subunits, thus, exhibiting similar mechanisms of action, although recent evidence suggests that eszopiclone is not as selective for α1 subunit as zolpidem is. Ramelteon and tasimelteon are new chrono-hypnotic agents, selective for melatonin MT1 and MT2 receptors.

[Sleep in psychiatric disorders].

Altered sleep patterns are prominent in the majority of psychiatric disorders. This article examines the psychiatric disorders that are most often associated to sleep dysfunction as it is related in clinical practice and describes the polysomnographic findings. Patient's main complaints are related to difficulty in initiating and maintaining sleep (initial or middle insomnia, respectively) and poor quality of sleep.