Newsbriefs: Stimulating Sleep; Blood Tests
Sound and Vibration Stimulate Sleep
Many people find it easier to sleep in a car or a train because the vibration and noise “rock” them to sleep. With that in mind, researchers from Thomas Jefferson University in Philadelphia wanted to know if vibratory and auditory stimulation would improve sleep for people who have insomnia. They published their results in the Feb. 4, 2020 journal of Sleep Disorders. The study included 30 patients ages 18 to 80 with clinically diagnosed insomnia, but no other significant pre-existing medical conditions or significant neurological or psychological disorders. The participants were divided into two groups. The first group, the active group, received the auditory and vibratory stimulation for approximately one month; and the second group, the controls, received only their standard-of-care treatment for insomnia for the same time period. The patients in the active group were given an auditory stimulation program, lasting approximately 60 minutes, that they used each night as they went to sleep. In addition, they came into the Marcus Institute of Integrative Health twice a week to receive a combination of vibratory and auditory stimulation for 24 minutes, using a specially designed chair that merges the two stimuli. Compared to the controls, those receiving the auditory and vibratory stimulation had improvements in areas involved in higher cognitive and executive functions, such as the thalamus and prefrontal cortex, suggesting that improved sleep improves brain function. Functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) scans, which measure blood flow activity in the brain, revealed more circulation in the thalamus and prefrontal cortex, those areas known to be involved in higher cognitive functions. The researchers hope that this study will open up new avenues of treatment for insomnia patients. The study was funded by a gift from the Marcus Foundation.
Blood Test Identifies Risk of Disease Linked to Stroke and Dementia
A UCLA-led study found that levels of six proteins in the blood can be used to gauge a person’s risk for cerebral small vessel disease, or CSVD, a brain disease that affects an estimated 11 million older adults in the United States. CSVD can lead to dementia and stroke, but currently it can be diagnosed only with an MRI scan of the brain. CSVD is characterized by changes to the brain’s white matter, the areas of the brain that have a high concentration of myelin, a fatty tissue that insulates and protects the long extensions of brain cells. In CSVD, small blood vessels that snake through the white matter become damaged over time and the myelin begins to break down. This slows the communication between cells in the brain and can lead to problems with cognition and difficulty walking. If the blood vessels become completely blocked, it can cause a stroke. The disease is also associated with a heightened risk for multiple forms of dementia, including Alzheimer’s disease.
Typically, doctors diagnose CSVD with an MRI scan after a person has experienced dementia or suffered a stroke. About a quarter of all strokes in the U.S. are associated with CSVD. But many cases of the disease go undiagnosed because of mild symptoms, such as trouble with walking or memory, that can often be attributed to normal aging. In the study, published in the Jan. 24, 2020 issue of the journal PLoS One, researchers measured the levels of the proteins in the blood of 167 people whose average age was 76, and who had either normal cognition or mild cognitive impairment. People whose imaging tests showed signs of CSVD had significantly higher levels of the six blood proteins, the researchers discovered. In MRI reports, the changes in the brain’s white matter caused by CSVD are usually categorized only in general terms — as mild, moderate, or severe. The blood test is a step forward because it provides a more quantitative scale for evaluating the disease, according to Dr. Jason Hinman, a UCLA assistant professor of neurology and lead author of the paper. That means the blood test can be used to follow the progression of the disease or to identify people who are candidates for prevention efforts or treatments for CSVD. The blood test is not commercially available at this time. The study was funded in part by the National Institutes of Health and the American Heart Association.
Related post: “The Right Exercise to Relieve Arthritis“
The post Newsbriefs: Stimulating Sleep; Blood Tests appeared first on University Health News.
Read Original Article: Newsbriefs: Stimulating Sleep; Blood Tests »
