Purpose of review: Review recent research on the roles of gender, race/ethnicity, residential socioeconomics and age in obstructive sleep apnea syndromes (OSA) and their treatment. Recent findings: Men have a higher prevalence of OSA than women and require higher continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) pressures for treatment, given similar severity of OSA. When comparing age, women have less severe apnea at all ages. Menopause, pregnancy and polycystic ovarian syndrome increase the risk for OSA in women. Neck fat and BMI influence apnea–hypopnea index (AHI) severity in women; abdominal fat and neck-to-waist ratio do so in men. Obesity, craniofacial structure, lower socioeconomic status and neighborhood disadvantage may better explain ethnic/racial differences in the prevalence and severity of OSA. Ethnicity was no longer significantly associated with OSA severity when WHO criteria for obesity were used. Summary: OSA has a male predominance; women have a lower AHI than men during certain stages of sleep; women require less CPAP pressure for treatment of similar severity of OSA, and there are ethnic/racial differences in the prevalence and severity of OSA but these may be due to environmental factors, such as living in disadvantaged neighborhoods.

Purpose of review: To provide an overview of foundational theories on the psychosocial and neurobiological mechanisms that underlie the pathophysiology of insomnia, a review of recent findings from across the spectrum of sleep sciences that are germane to conceptualizations of insomnia, and how such findings contribute to newer integrative models. Recent findings: Recent findings come from a broad diversity of the sleep research spectrum including basic animal science, sleep neuroscience, especially sleep–wake regulation, psychoneuroimmunology, human genetics, epidemiology, psychology, and from the clinical research realm. Summary: Our review focuses on the factors contributing to insomnia and to its maintenance over time as well as the theoretical models developed (and developing) to explain this pathophysiology. Early theoretical contributions have provided a backbone for insomnia research; the sleep sciences, in turn, have supported novel and increasingly complex theoretical models of insomnia. The overarching contention is that integrative models are needed that are fully comprehensive in scope.

Purpose of review: This review will concentrate on the consequences of sleep deprivation in adult humans. These findings form a paradigm that serves to demonstrate many of the critical functions of the sleep states. Recent findings: The drive to obtain food, water, and sleep constitutes important vegetative appetites throughout the animal kingdom. Unlike nutrition and hydration, the reasons for sleep have largely remained speculative. When adult humans are nonspecifically sleep-deprived, systemic effects may include defects in cognition, vigilance, emotional stability, risk-taking, and, possibly, moral reasoning. Appetite (for foodstuffs) increases and glucose intolerance may ensue. Procedural, declarative, and emotional memory are affected. Widespread alterations of immune function and inflammatory regulators can be observed, and functional MRI reveals profound changes in regional cerebral activity related to attention and memory. Selective deprivation of rapid eye movement (REM) sleep, on the contrary, appears to be more activating and to have lesser effects on immunity and inflammation. Summary: The findings support a critical need for sleep due to the widespread effects on the adult human that result from nonselective sleep deprivation. The effects of selective REM deprivation appear to be different and possibly less profound, and the functions of this sleep state remain enigmatic.

Related Articles

Home dampness, beta-2 adrenergic receptor genetic polymorphisms, and asthma phenotypes in children.

Environ Res. 2012 Oct;118:72-8

Authors: Wang IJ, Tsai CH, Kuo NW, Chiang BL, Tung KY, Lee YL

Abstract
BACKGROUND: Dampness in the home is a strong risk factor for respiratory symptoms and constitutes a significant public health issue in subtropical areas. However, little is known about the effects of dampness and genetic polymorphisms on asthma.
METHODS: In 2007, 6078 schoolchildren were evaluated using a standard questionnaire with regard to information about respiratory symptoms and environmental exposure. Multiple logistic regression analyses were performed to assess the effects of home dampness and beta-2-adrenergic receptor (ADRB2) gene polymorphisms on the prevalence of asthma and selected indicators of severity of asthma.
RESULTS: The frequency of mildewy odor, the number of walls with water stamp, and the duration of water damage were all associated with being awakened at night due to wheezing. However, no other clear-cut associations were found for any of the other indicators of asthma. Children exposed to mildewy odor with ADRB2 Arg/Arg genotype were associated with being awakened at night due to wheezing (OR=1.95, 95% CI, 1.14-3.36), compared to those without exposure and with the ADRB2 Gly allele. ADRB2 Arg16Gly showed a significant interactive effect with home dampness on being awakened at night due to wheezing and current wheezing, but no significant effect on active asthma and medication use. Frequency and degree of home dampness were also associated with the prevalence of asthma and selected indicators of severity of asthma, in an exposure-response manner among children with ADRB2 Arg/Arg genotype.
CONCLUSIONS: Home dampness prevention is one of the important steps of asthma control, especially in children carrying ADRB2 Arg/Arg genotypes.

PMID: 22883364 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]