Association between self-reported poor sleep status and ovulation rate in Chinese women with fertility intentions: a multicentre prospective cohort study protocol
Su NJ, Huang J, Li H, Chen H, Wang L, Wang S, Huang K, Wang J, Huang J, Liao Y, Li L, Xiong Z, Ren H, Liu B, Chen D, Ma N, Yin L, Huang C, Zhang X and Liu F
Association between self-reported poor sleep status and ovulation rate in Chinese women with fertility intentions: a multicentre prospective cohort study protocol
Su NJ, Huang J, Li H, Chen H, Wang L, Wang S, Huang K, Wang J, Huang J, Liao Y, Li L, Xiong Z, Ren H, Liu B, Chen D, Ma N, Yin L, Huang C, Zhang X and Liu F
In China, women of childbearing age, who constitute a major demographic of online consumers and professionals in emerging industries are increasingly experiencing significant sleep disturbances. Existing studies have predominantly focused on the association between sleep disorders and polycystic ovary syndrome, often overlooking the independent impact of sleep patterns on ovulatory function in the general population of women attempting conception. Specifically, the synergistic effect of blue light exposure from electronic devices and delayed sleep onset remains underexplored, and evidence regarding the relationship between sleep duration, sleep quality and ovulation rates is insufficient. The primary objective of this study is to investigate the association between sleep habits and ovulation rates among Chinese women with fertility intentions. Second, it aims to determine the correlation between these sleep habits and factors such as screen time, night shift work and regional differences. Third, using a user-friendly sleep monitoring wristband, the study seeks to clarify the quantitative relationship between objective sleep parameters (eg, sleep onset time, sleep efficiency) and ovulation rates in this population.
Patients with different putative chronic pain mechanisms have different cortical complexity and synchrony
De Martino E, Nascimento Couto B, Midtgaard Bach M, Jakobsen A, Ingemann-Molden S, Casali A, Graven-Nielsen T and Ciampi de Andrade D
Patients with different putative chronic pain mechanisms have different cortical complexity and synchrony
De Martino E, Nascimento Couto B, Midtgaard Bach M, Jakobsen A, Ingemann-Molden S, Casali A, Graven-Nielsen T and Ciampi de Andrade D
Mechanism-based classification of chronic pain includes nociceptive, neuropathic, and nociplastic descriptors, which are believed to relate to three different clinical phenotypes. It remains unknown whether such classification translates into measurable differences in inter-regional cortical connectivity. Here, we hypothesized that cortical oscillatory responses measured at cortical areas implicated in different dimensions of pain processing: cognitive-evaluative (dorsolateral prefrontal cortex), affective-motivational (anterior cingulate cortex), discriminative-evaluative (postero-superior insula), and modulatory/allostatic control (primary motor cortex-M1), would differ in patients with chronic pain classified according to mechanistic descriptors. Transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) combined with electroencephalography was used to evoke cortical responses in 90 patients with chronic pain (30: neuropathic, 29: nociceptive, and 31: nociplastic). Participants received single-pulse TMS to each of the 4 cortical targets, and TMS-evoked responses were quantified by global and local mean field power, perturbational complexity index (PCIst), intertrial coherence (ITC), and event-related spectral perturbation. Clinical measures included pain intensity, interference, pain location and spread, mood, fatigue/sleep quality, and quality of life. People with nociplastic pain had more widespread body pain and higher depression levels compared with the other groups (all P < 0.05). Relative to nociplastic pain, neuropathic pain showed lower PCIst at M1 stimulation (P < 0.05), reduced ITC during dorsolateral prefrontal cortex stimulation (P < 0.05), and decreased event-related spectral perturbation during anterior cingulate cortex stimulation (P < 0.05). Across all phenotypes, lower PCIst and ITC correlated with higher pain intensity (P < 0.05). These findings indicate that mechanism-based clinical classification categorizes patients into significantly different phase-based oscillatory connectivity patterns, despite having similar pain intensities, and that shared reductions in these measures consistently relate to greater symptom burden.
Amitriptyline for neuropathic pain in patients with leprosy: a bicenter randomized controlled trial
Júnior JAMP, Kubota GT, Moreira LI, Fernandes AM, Aparecida da Silva V, Stump PRNAG, do Nascimento DC, Marciano LHSC, Nascimento NGC, Barreto JA, de Arruda Steffen F, Martins PN, Benard G, Trindade MAB, Pazzini R, Júnior JR, Yeng LT, Teixeira MJ and Ciampi de Andrade D
Amitriptyline for neuropathic pain in patients with leprosy: a bicenter randomized controlled trial
Júnior JAMP, Kubota GT, Moreira LI, Fernandes AM, Aparecida da Silva V, Stump PRNAG, do Nascimento DC, Marciano LHSC, Nascimento NGC, Barreto JA, de Arruda Steffen F, Martins PN, Benard G, Trindade MAB, Pazzini R, Júnior JR, Yeng LT, Teixeira MJ and Ciampi de Andrade D
In this bicenter, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial, we evaluated the effectiveness and safety of amitriptyline as an add-on therapy for leprosy-related neuropathic pain. A total of 117 participants were randomly assigned to receive amitriptyline or placebo for 9 weeks. The primary outcome was the change in pain intensity on a 100-mm visual analogue scale. Secondary outcomes included pain interference, responder rates, neuropathic pain symptoms, mood, sleep, catastrophizing, quality of life, and the Patient Global Impression of Change. No significant differences were observed between treatment arms for the primary end point. Patient Global Impression of Change scores were higher with amitriptyline, and no differences were detected between the other secondary outcomes. Amitriptyline was well-tolerated, and compliance was high in both arms. Treatment-emergent adverse events occurred in 81% of participants analysed in the amitriptyline arm and 94% in the placebo arm, were mostly mild or moderate, and no serious events were reported. A preplanned exploratory analysis examined the effects of therapy on pain phenotypes based on the intensity of spontaneous pain scores (burning, squeezing, and pressure pain). Participants with lower spontaneous pain scores at baseline showed lower pain severity, reduced emotional burden, and better quality-of-life outcomes compared with those with higher scores, regardless of treatment allocation. No significant differences between amitriptyline and placebo were observed within either symptom-defined phenotype. Amitriptyline did not provide superior analgesia compared with placebo when used as add-on therapy for neuropathic pain in people with leprosy. The clinical phenotypic heterogeneity of leprosy-related neuropathic pain may be relevant in future trial designs.
Perceived Restedness and Mental Health Among Emerging Adults in College: A Cross-Sectional Analysis
Mohamed A, Ward S and K Gülay B
Perceived Restedness and Mental Health Among Emerging Adults in College: A Cross-Sectional Analysis
Mohamed A, Ward S and K Gülay B
This study examined associations of perceived restedness, sleep duration, and emotion regulation difficulties with mental health outcomes among university students. Data from 1192 Canadian college students were analyzed using multiple regression models. Mental health outcomes included distress (DASS), perceived stress (PSS), anxiety (GAD), and depression (PHQ), alongside indicators of emotion regulation, physical activity, mindfulness, and social support. Hierarchical models assessed the incremental value of these predictors. Across models, perceived restedness was consistently associated with better mental health after accounting for sleep duration and other covariates, whereas sleep duration showed less consistent associations across outcomes. Difficulties in emotion regulation were the strongest and most consistent correlates across outcomes, while physical activity and mindfulness showed inconsistent effects once other variables were considered. Adding health behavior variables improved model performance, whereas sociodemographic factors contributed little additional explanatory value. Interaction effects were generally small and inconsistent, although students who felt somewhat rested appeared to benefit more from stronger social support. These findings suggest perceived restedness may serve as a practical and efficient indicator of mental health screening, but results should be interpreted as hypothesis-generating given measurement asymmetry, self-report design, and pandemic-era data.
Problematic internet use: Determinant of sleep problems and perceived stress levels in young adults
Akca A and Ertuğrul B
Problematic internet use: Determinant of sleep problems and perceived stress levels in young adults
Akca A and Ertuğrul B
Considering the critical role of sleep and stress in mental health, it is important to examine the relationships between these factors and problematic internet use (PIU). The study was conducted to determine PIU, sleep quality, and perceived stress levels among young adults, and to examine the determinants of sleep problems and perceived stress levels. A cross-sectional and correlational design was used in the study of 807 young adults. Data were collected using a personal information form, Jenkins Sleep Scale, Perceived Stress Scale, and Problematic Internet Use Questionnaire-Short Form. PIU, being female, having a chronic disease, income being less than expenditure, and using the internet to listen to music positively predicted sleep problems. Perceived stress levels positively predicted PIU, being female, and having a chronic disease. Interventions for young adults with problematic internet use should use a holistic strategy to mitigate and avoid sleep disturbances and stress.
Late-night eating, poor sleep quality, and emotional eating: Stronger predictors of overweight and obesity than social jetlag and eating jetlag
Ulusoy Gezer HG, İşler AO, Oguz SH, Karabulut E and Rakıcıoğlu N
Late-night eating, poor sleep quality, and emotional eating: Stronger predictors of overweight and obesity than social jetlag and eating jetlag
Ulusoy Gezer HG, İşler AO, Oguz SH, Karabulut E and Rakıcıoğlu N
Social jetlag (SJL) and eating jetlag (EJL) have been proposed as behavioral indicators of circadian misalignment; however, evidence linking these indicators to obesity remains inconsistent. This cross-sectional, case-control study examined whether higher SJL and EJL levels were associated with increased odds of overweight or obesity. A total of 444 adults ( = 211 with a healthy body weight and = 233 with overweight/obesity) were included. Sleep quality, chronotype, and night eating behaviors were assessed using the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI), Morningness-Eveningness Questionnaire (MEQ), and Night Eating Questionnaire (NEQ), respectively. Cognitive restraint, uncontrolled eating, and emotional eating were evaluated using the Three-Factor Eating Questionnaire (TFEQ). Circadian misalignment was measured using SJL, sleep-corrected SJL (SJLsc), EJL, and meal-specific jetlag metrics. Individuals with higher body mass index were older and more likely to exhibit morning chronotype characteristics, whereas evening types demonstrated greater SJLsc. Neither SJL nor EJL emerged as independent predictors of overweight/obesity, suggesting that weekly variability in sleep or eating timing may play a limited role in this population. Poor sleep quality, emotional eating, and the timing of the last eating event, rather than variability in meal timing, were associated with obesity. Weight management interventions should prioritize absolute meal timing, unhealthy eating behaviors, and sleep quality.
Development of a machine learning-based depression risk prediction model for middle-aged and elderly Chinese heart disease patients: Evidence from CHARLS data
Fu G, Shen Y, Yang J, Li Y, Huang T, Yang L, Yang X and Zhao J
Development of a machine learning-based depression risk prediction model for middle-aged and elderly Chinese heart disease patients: Evidence from CHARLS data
Fu G, Shen Y, Yang J, Li Y, Huang T, Yang L, Yang X and Zhao J
Heart disease is a leading cause of death and disability among middle-aged and elderly populations. Depression is a common comorbidity that impairs prognosis and quality of life. This study aimed to develop a machine learning (ML)-based depression risk prediction model based on China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study (CHARLS) data.
Feasibility Considerations of 24-Hour Heart Rate Variability as a Wellness-Focused Biomarker
Henderson CNR, Smith M, Johnson DF and Stein PK
Feasibility Considerations of 24-Hour Heart Rate Variability as a Wellness-Focused Biomarker
Henderson CNR, Smith M, Johnson DF and Stein PK
The purposes of this study were to (1) evaluate heart rate variability (HRV) monitoring for assessing morning, mid-day, evening, and sleep sample periods; (2) assess study-related procedures, personnel, and physical resources available at our institution; (3) identify potential problems and solutions associated with the use of 24-hour HRV at our institution.
Instrument-Assisted Spinal Manipulation, Soft Tissue Mobilization, and Dietary Supplements for the Management of Pain in a Woman With Fibromyalgia: A Case Report
McRoberts AJ and Martin BR
Instrument-Assisted Spinal Manipulation, Soft Tissue Mobilization, and Dietary Supplements for the Management of Pain in a Woman With Fibromyalgia: A Case Report
McRoberts AJ and Martin BR
The purpose of this case report is to describe a multimodal treatment approach for a middle-aged woman with fibromyalgia (FM).
Functional Impairment and Post-Stroke Depression: Potential Roles of Sleep Quality and Fatigue in a Cross-Sectional Structural Equation Analysis
Hu QY, Yang KY, Ming YF, Sun SJ and Liu J
Functional Impairment and Post-Stroke Depression: Potential Roles of Sleep Quality and Fatigue in a Cross-Sectional Structural Equation Analysis
Hu QY, Yang KY, Ming YF, Sun SJ and Liu J
To examine the association between functional impairment and depressive symptoms in hospitalized patients undergoing post-stroke rehabilitation, and to explore whether sleep quality and fatigue were statistically linked to this association within a structural equation modeling framework. We also compared the relative contributions of the Barthel Index (BI) and modified Rankin Scale (mRS).