Initial psychometric properties of the SLEEP-50 questionnaire, designed to detect sleep disorders as listed in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (4th ed., Text Revision), were examined. The sample consisted of 377 college students, 246 sleep patients, 32 nightmare sufferers, and 44 healthy volunteers. The internal consistency was high (Cronbach's alpha = .85); test-retest correlations fell between .65 and .89. Principal component analysis with a direct oblimin rotation revealed a factor structure that closely matched the designed structure. Sensitivity and specificity scores were promising for all sleep disorders; the agreement between all clinical diagnoses and SLEEP-50-classifications was substantial (kappa = .77). These initial findings indicate that the SLEEP-50 seems able to detect a variety of sleep disorders. The SLEEP-50 can aid in screening for common sleep disorders in the general population.
Misperception of Sleep Onset Latency, often found in Primary Insomnia, has been cited to be influenced by hyperarousal, reflected in EEG- and ECG-related indices. The aim of this retrospective study was to examine the association between Central Nervous System (i.e. EEG) and Autonomic Nervous System activity in the Sleep Onset Period and the first NREM sleep cycle in Primary Insomnia (n=17) and healthy controls (n=11). Furthermore, the study examined the influence of elevated EEG and Autonomic Nervous System activity on Stage2 sleep-protective mechanisms (K-complexes and sleep spindles). Confirming previous findings, the Primary Insomnia-group overestimated Sleep Onset Latency and this overestimation was correlated with elevated EEG activity. A higher amount of beta EEG activity during the Sleep Onset Period was correlated with the appearance of K-complexes immediately followed by a sleep spindle in the Primary Insomnia-group. This can be interpreted as an extra attempt to protect sleep continuity or as a failure of the sleep-protective role of the K-complex by fast EEG frequencies following within one second. The strong association found between K-alpha (K-complex within one second followed by 8-12 Hz EEG activity) in Stage2 sleep and a lower parasympathetic Autonomic Nervous System dominance (less high frequency HR) in Slow-wave sleep, further assumes a state of hyperarousal continuing through sleep in Primary Insomnia.
In this study, we compared the effect of group and cognitive behavioral treatment (CBT) in clinically referred patients with chronic insomnia. The participants were 32 individually treated primary insomniacs and 74 individuals with either primary or secondary insomnia treated in a group (5-7 patients per group). The primary outcome measures were subjective sleep, quality of life (QOL), and psychological well-being. CBT produced significant changes in sleep onset latency, total sleep time, sleep efficiency, and wake after sleep onset. For total sleep time and sleep efficiency, the improvements were maintained at follow-up as well. In the questionnaires, significant improvements from treatment were seen for the Sickness Impact Profile, Sleep Evaluation Form, and Dysfunctional Beliefs and Attitudes About Sleep. All these improvements remained significant at follow-up. We conclude that CBT for insomnia is effective for both individual and group treatment. Improvements were seen in subjective sleep parameters, QOL, attitudes about sleep, and sleep evaluation in general, both posttreatment and at follow-up.
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