Objective: In previous studies, cranial electrostimulation (CES) had positive effects on sleep in depressed patients and in patients with vascular dementia. The present study examined the effects of low-frequency CES on the rest-activity rhythm and cortisol levels of patients with probable Alzheimer's disease (AD).
Method: It was hypothesised that a decreased level of cortisol would parallel a positive effect of low-frequency CES on nocturnal restlessness. Sixteen AD patients were randomly assigned to an experimental group (n = 8) or a control group (n = 8). The experimental group was treated with CES, whereas the control group received sham stimulation, for 30 minutes a day, during 6 weeks. The rest-activity rhythm was assessed by actigraphy. Cortisol was measured repeatedly in the saliva throughout the day by means of salivette tubes.
Results: Low-frequency CES did not improve the rest-activity rhythm in AD patients. Moreover, both groups showed an increase instead of a decrease in the level of cortisol.
Conclusions: These preliminary results suggest that low-frequency CES has no positive effect on the rest-activity rhythm in AD patients. An alternative research design with high-frequency CES in AD is discussed.
Download full-text PDF |
Source |
|---|---|
| http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/0888439003017002004 | DOI Listing |
Publication Analysis
Top Keywords
Similar Publications
Irregular sleep-wake rhythm disorder: From the pathophysiologic perspective to the treatment.
Handb Clin Neurol
January 2025
Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, United States.
Irregular sleep-wake rhythm disorder (ISWRD) is an intrinsic circadian rhythm disorder caused by loss of the brain's circadian regulation, through changes of the input and/or output to the suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN), or of the SCN itself. Although there are limited prevalence data for this rare disease, ISWRD is associated with neurodegenerative disorders, including the Alzheimer disease (AD) and the Parkinson disease (PD), which will become increasingly prevalent in an aging population. It additionally presents in childhood developmental disorders, psychiatric disorders, and traumatic brain injury (TBI).
View Article and Find Full Text PDFA Longitudinal Study on Parent-Infant Rest-Activity Rhythms Using Actigraphy From Late Pregnancy to Eight Months After Birth.
Cureus
December 2024
Nursing, Tokyo Women's Medical University, Tokyo, JPN.
Circadian rhythms develop from an ultradian to a circadian rhythm during a few months in the early human life stage. One of the strong factors in promoting the development of circadian rhythms during infancy is maternal rest-activity rhythms. However, few studies have examined comparing the rest-activity rhythms of parents and infants.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFAge-related disturbances in rest-activity rhythms and integrity of the hippocampal network: An exploratory study.
Neurobiol Sleep Circadian Rhythms
May 2025
INCIA, EPHE, Université PSL, Univ Bordeaux, CNRS, 146, Rue Léo Saignat, 33076, Bordeaux, France.
To better understand the relationship between the rest-activity rhythms and cognitive impairments during aging, we assessed the longitudinal changes in the rest-activity rhythms in an elderly population and their possible detrimental effect on the hippocampal network. This was done longitudinally in a rural cohort with two actigraphic assessments and brain imaging examinations, seven years apart. A segmentation of the hippocampus and its related structures was used to assess volumes and functional connectivity in this network based on anatomical and resting state functional data.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBeyond sleep: Rest and activity rhythm as a marker of preclinical and mild dementia in older adults with less education.
Neurobiol Sleep Circadian Rhythms
May 2025
Division of Geriatrics, University of São Paulo Medical School, São Paulo, Brazil.
Background: Although sleep duration and sleep-related breathing disorders were associated with dementia previously, few studies examined the association between circadian rhythm association and cognitive status.
Objective: We aimed to investigate the association of rest and activity rhythm with cognitive performance in older people with cognitive complaints and less education.
Methods: Activity rhythm was evaluated with wrist actigraphy in 109 community-dwelling older people with cognitive complaints without diagnosed dementia.
The bright and dark side of blue-enriched light on sleep and activity in older adults.
Geroscience
January 2025
Chronobiology Section, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Surrey, Guildford, UK.
Low indoor light in urban housing can disrupt health and wellbeing, especially in older adults who experience reduced light sensitivity and sleep/circadian disruptions with natural aging. While controlled studies suggest that enhancing indoor lighting may alleviate the negative effects of reduced light sensitivity, evidence for this to be effective in the real world is lacking. This study investigates the effects of two light conditions on actigraphic rest-activity rhythms and subjective sleep in healthy older adults (≥ 60 years) living at home.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFWant AI Summaries of new PubMed Abstracts delivered to your In-box?
Enter search terms and have AI summaries delivered each week - change queries or unsubscribe any time!