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M Ohayon

Publications and source records attributed to M Ohayon.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources

Arousal, EEG spectral power and pulse transit time in UARS and mild OSAS subjects.

OBJECTIVES: Upper airway resistance syndrome (UARS) and obstructive sleep apnea syndrome (OSAS) are associated with arousals and autonomic activation. Pulse transit time (PTT) has been used to recognize transient arousals. We examined the accuracy of PTT to recognize arousals, and the relationship between PTT deflection and visual and non-visual arousals. METHODS: Ten UARS and 10 mild OSAS subjects were studied via polysomnography including measurement of esophageal pressure. Electroencephalogram (EEG) spectral power was obtained from central leads. Seven types of events were identified, depending upon the presence or absence of: a sleep-related respiratory event (SRRE), i.e. apnea, hypopnea, and abnormal breathing effort; a PTT signal; or a visually scored arousal (>1.5s). RESULTS: One thousand four hundred forty-six events were identified in 20 subjects. Fifty-nine percent of all SRREs were associated with a PTT signal and a visual EEG arousal. Nineteen percent of SRREs had no EEG arousals at their termination, and 7.4% had no associated PTT signal. Delta power was significantly increased when non-visual EEG arousals were scored. The time delay for PTT was determined by the presence or absence of EEG arousal. The sensitivity of PTT to recognize EEG arousal was 90.4% and the specificity was 16.8%. The sensitivity and specificity of PTT to recognize SRRE was 90.7 and 21.9%, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: These results preclude the use of PTT by itself. SRREs induce an activation with positive PTT response but without arousal in 14% of cases. This PTT response, however, is much slower than that occurring with arousal. UARS and mild OSAS do not respond in the same way to SRREs, particularly during rapid eye movement sleep.

Adolescent↗

Sleep and daytime sleepiness in upper airway resistance syndrome compared to obstructive sleep apnoea syndrome.

This study has investigated differences in the nocturnal sleep and daytime sleepiness among patients with obstructive sleep apnoea syndrome (OSAS), upper airway resistance (UARS), sleep hypopnoea syndrome, and normal control subjects, using sleep scoring and spectral activity analysis of the electroencephalogram (EEG). Twelve nonobese males with UARS aged 30-60 yrs were recruited. These subjects were strictly matched for age and body mass index with twelve OSAS patients, 12 sleep hypopnoea syndrome patients, and 12 normal controls, all male. Daytime sleepiness was evaluated using the Epworth Sleepiness Scale (ESS) and the Multiple Sleep Latency Test (MSLT). The macrostructure of sleep was determined using international criteria and spectral analysis of the sleep EEG was obtained from a central lead. The sleep macrostructure of OSAS and UARS patients was significantly different from that of controls. These patients were also sleepier during the daytime than controls. Complaints of tiredness and daytime sleepiness, ESS and MSLT scores were similar in the different patient groups. Mild dysmorphia was present in all three patient groups. However, nocturnal sleep was significantly different among the different groups. OSAS patients had significantly more awake time during sleep than the UARS patients. The spectral activity of the total sleep time of the patient groups also differed significantly from that of controls. When the sleep spectral activity of UARS and OSAS patients were compared, OSAS patients had less slow wave sleep activity than UARS patients. UARS patients had a significantly higher absolute power in the 7-9 Hz bandwidth than OSAS patients. The absolute delta power over the different sleep cycles was also different between controls and patients, and between UARS and OSAS patients. There are clear differences in the macrostructure and spectral activity of sleep between upper airway resistance and obstructive sleep apnoea syndrome patients, demonstrated by differences in the cortical activity recorded in the central lead during sleep. Despite these nocturnal sleep differences, the tests of subjective daytime sleepiness are not significantly different.

Adult↗

Sleep-disordered breathing and upper-airway anomalies in first-degree relatives of ALTE children.

From 1985 through 1995, 348 infants aged 3 wk-3 mo were referred to the Stanford Sleep Clinic for "apparent life-threatening events" (ALTE). A small group of 48 infants with no history of sleep-disordered breathing (SDB) was also recruited and used as controls (they comprised group C). We conducted a systematic investigation of relatives (parents, siblings, and grandparents) of the infants, including a clinical evaluation, craniofacial investigation, and the completion of an extensive (189-question) validated sleep/wake questionnaire. All data were calculated before the subdivision of ALTE infants into two groups. The subdivision was based on a blind scoring of the infants' polygraphic recordings; 42.5% of the infants were negative for SDB (Group A), whereas 57.5% of the infants were positive for SDB (Group B). Groups A and C were not significantly different from each other. Forty-three percent of the relatives of Group B infants had been treated for SDB (with nasal CPAP, surgical or dental appliance treatments) compared with 7.1% of Group A relatives. Clinical investigation indicated a significantly higher presence of small upper airways in the families of infants with SDB. About twice as many relatives reported the presence of asthma in Group B compared with Group A. Naso-oro-maxillomandibular anatomic traits that may lead to small upper airways in parents may be risk factors for abnormal breathing during sleep in their infants.

Case-Control Studies↗

A clinical investigation of obstructive sleep apnea syndrome (OSAS) and upper airway resistance syndrome (UARS) patients.

Objective: (i) Evaluation of the clinical differences and similarities presented by patients diagnosed as OSAS and UARS subjects. (ii) Evaluation of the ability of a sleep disorders specialist to dissociate the two syndromes based upon clinical evaluation.Population: 314 subjects were included. They were referred to a sleep disorders clinic with complaints of loud snoring during a 3 month period.Method: The evaluation consisted of: (i) Clinical interview and evaluation. (ii) Administration of validated questionnaires (Sleep Disorders Questionnaire and Epworth Sleepiness Scale). (iii) Establishment of clinical diagnostic and results of polygraphic recording.Results: After clinical evaluation and polygraphic recordings (performed within 3 weeks of initial evaluation) patients were subdivided into two groups: 176 OSAS and 128 UARS. The misclassification of patients by specialists correlated with body mass index (BMI) measurement, with an over classification of patient as OSAS when a high BMI was noted and vice-versa for UARS. The only significant difference between OSAS and UARS patients was an older age and a wider neck circumference in the OSAS group than in UARS patients.Conclusion: Clinical presentation including daytime sleepiness complaint and ESS score is similar for patients with and without drop of oxygen saturation below 90% during sleep. There was always a male predominance within both syndromes, but more women were diagnosed with UARS than with OSAS.

Journal Article↗

Long distance driving and self-induced sleep deprivation among automobile drivers.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the sleep hygiene and prevalence of sleep deprivation among a large sample of automobile drivers. DESIGN: From the 15th of June to the 4th of August 1996, with the help of the French highway patrol, we randomly stopped automobile drivers at the toll booths of Bordeaux and Biarritz. All subjects completed a validated questionnaire on sleep/wake habits during the year. After answering the questionnaire, subjects completed a graphic travel and sleep log of the three days preceding the interview. PARTICIPANTS: We randomly stopped 2196 automobile drivers. Ninety-one percent of the sample (mean age 43 +/- 13 years) agreed to participate in the survey. RESULTS: Fifty percent of the drivers decreased their total sleep time in the 24 hours before the interview compared with their regular self-reported sleep time. 12.5% presented a sleep debt > 180 minutes, and 2.7% presented a sleep debt > 300 minutes. Being young, commuting to work, driving long distances, starting the trip at night, being an "evening" person, being a long sleeper during the week, and sleeping in on the week-end were risk factors significantly associated with sleep debt. CONCLUSION: The results of the study highlight variables (long-distance driving, youth, sleep restriction) that are frequently associated with sleep-related accidents.

Accidents, Traffic↗

Hypoxia-induced loss of synaptic transmission is exacerbated in hippocampal slices of transgenic mice expressing C-terminal fragments of Alzheimer amyloid precursor protein.

To investigate the possible involvement of beta-amyloid (A beta) in disrupting neuronal function during ischemia, we examined whether overexpression of C-terminal fragments of beta-amyloid precursor protein (beta-APP) in transgenic (Tg) mice is capable of altering the capacity of hippocampus slices to recover synaptic transmission after transient hypoxic episodes. Recovery of synaptic transmission was monitored in area CA1 of perfused hippocampal slices prepared from both control and Tg mice. The results obtained indicate that hippocampal slices prepared from Tg mice exhibited a much lower level of recovery in synaptic transmission following reoxygenation. This reduction in the capacity of Tg slices to recover from hypoxia-induced impairment of synaptic transmission in the hippocampus does not appear to be related to pre-existing alterations in either functional or biochemical properties of glutamate receptors in Tg mice. The present results provide the first experimental evidence that overexpression of the C-terminal fragment of APP exacerbates functional damage of hippocampal neurons after hypoxic episodes.

Amyloid beta-Protein Precursor↗

AMPA receptor properties in adult rat hippocampus following environmental enrichment.

In adult rats, environmental enrichment has been shown to selectively increase -AMPA binding in the hippocampus but the molecular mechanisms underlying this effect remain unknown. We used in situ hybridization with antisense oligonucleotides to determine possible changes in the hippocampal expression of messenger RNAs for different subunits of AMPA receptors in adult rats following exposure to an enriched environment. Quantitative analysis revealed that mRNA levels for three subtypes of AMPA glutamate receptors (GluR1-3; Flip and Flop variants) were not modified in any hippocampal region after environmental enrichment. In addition, no differences were detected in the levels of GluR1 and GluR2/3 proteins in Western blots of hippocampal membranes from enriched rats. Nevertheless, quantitative ligand binding autoradiography indicated that environmental enrichment evoked a significant and uniform decrease in the capacity of calcium or phosphatidylserine (PS) to up-regulate -AMPA binding in various hippocampal regions but not in the cerebral cortex. These findings support previous observations suggesting that post-translational changes in AMPA receptor properties, as a result of the activation of calcium-dependent processes, may represent an important mechanism underlying long-term modifications of synaptic efficacy in the rat hippocampus.

Animals↗

[Instruments to evaluate fitness to stand trial:a review of recent literature].

OBJECTIVES: To present current methods used to assess fitness to stand trial (FST), draw a parallel between these methods and studies of factors associated with decisions regarding FST, and describe the limits inherent to the field of FST. METHOD: Survey of the relevant literature from Psychinfo and Medline databases from 1967 to 1996 inclusively. RESULTS: Ten instruments were identified for the systematic collection of information from persons assessed for FST. The description and analysis of their psychometric qualities, however, indicate that these instruments present some problems. CONCLUSION: Although some research has shown that diagnosis is the factor most associated with decisions regarding FST, no instrument includes a systematic assessment of psychopathology. If we take into account the possible consequences of these decisions for the accused as well as for society, these assessments and the recommendations that follow prove to be extremely important.

Canada↗

Effect of phosphatidylserine on the binding properties of glutamate receptors in brain sections from adult and neonatal rats.

The effects of phosphatidylserine (PS) on the binding properties of the AMPA (alpha-amino-3-hydroxy-5-methylisoxazolepropionic acid) and NMDA (N-methyl-D-aspartate) subtypes of glutamate receptors were analyzed by quantitative autoradiography of [3H]AMPA, [3H]6-cyano-7-nitroquinoxaline-2,3-dione (CNQX) and [3H]glutamate binding on rat brain tissue sections. Preincubation of brain sections with PS produced an increase in [3H]AMPA binding without modifying the binding properties of [3H]CNQX, an antagonist of AMPA receptors. This effect of PS appeared to be specific for the AMPA subtype of glutamate receptors as the same treatment did not modify [3H]glutamate binding to the NMDA receptors. Furthermore, the PS-induced increase in [3H]AMPA binding was different in various brain structures, being larger in the molecular layer of the cerebellum and almost absent in the striatum. Preincubation with calcium also augmented [3H]AMPA binding, and the lack of additivity of the effects of calcium and PS on [3H]AMPA binding strongly suggests that both treatments share a common mechanism(s) for producing increased agonist binding. Finally, the effect of PS on AMPA receptor properties was markedly reduced in rat brain sections prepared from neonatal rats at a developmental stage that is normally characterized by the absence of LTP expression in certain brain regions. The present data are consistent with the hypothesis that alteration in the lipid composition of synaptic membranes may be an important mechanism for regulating AMPA receptor properties, which could be involved in producing long-lasting changes in synaptic operation.

Animals↗

Developmental changes in depolarization-mediated AMPA receptor modifications and potassium-induced long-term potentiation.

In the present study, we examined the KCl-induced increase in [3H] amino-3-hydroxy-5-methylisoxazole-4-propionate ([3H]AMPA) binding in telencephalic synaptoneurosomes and potentiation of synaptic transmission (KLTP) in hippocampal slices during development in rats. As previously reported, KCI-induced depolarization of telencephalic synaptoneurosomes resulted in a 40 +/- 5% increase in [3H]AMPA binding to membrane fractions in adult rats (3 months old). KCI-induced increase in [3H]AMPA binding was reduced to 24 +/- 5% and 15 +/- 5% at postnatal days (PND) 25-30 and PND 15-20 respectively, and was only 6 +/- 5% at PND 5-10. KLTP in area CA1 of hippocampus was most pronounced in adult slices (40 +/- 5%), and was reduced to 30 +/- 5% in slices prepared from PND 25-30 animals; KCI-induced LTP was absent in CA1 hippocampal slices prepared from PND 5-10 animals (3 +/- 5%). The decrease in KCI-induced changes in AMPA receptor binding in young animals was also associated with an altered capacity of the bee venom peptide, mellitin (a phospholipase A2 (PLA2) activator), to increase [3H]AMPA binding in synaptoneurosomes. The smaller effect of mellitin on [3H]AMPA binding in young animals was not due to a decreased ability of this peptide to release [3H]arachidonate from synaptoneuro-somes. The parallel modifications in the extent of depolarization-induced change in AMPA receptor binding and excitatory synaptic transmission during development further support the hypothesis that alterations in AMPA receptor properties may play a critical role in synaptic plasticity.

Age Factors↗

Epidemiological study on insomnia in the general population.

This study was conducted with a representative sample of the French population of 5,622 subjects of 15 years old or more. The telephone interviews were performed with EVAL, an expert system specialized for the evaluation of sleep disorders. From this sample, 20.1% of persons said that they were unsatisfied with their sleep or taking medication for sleeping difficulties or anxiety with sleeping difficulties (UQS). A low family income, being a woman, being over 65 years of age, being retired and being separated, divorced or widowed are significantly associated with the presence of UQS. A sleep onset period over 15 minutes, a short night's sleep and regular nighttime awakenings are also associated with UQS. Medical consultations during the past 6 months and physical illnesses are more frequent among the UQS group. The consumption of sleep-enhancing medication and medication to reduce anxiety is important: in the past, 16% of subjects had taken a sleep-enhancing medication and 16.2% a medication to reduce anxiety. At the time of the survey 9.9% of the population were using sleep-enhancing medication and 6.7% were using medication for anxiety. For most, hypnotic consumption was long-term: 81.6% had been using it for more than 6 months.

Adolescent↗

Should everyone be monitored for upper-airway resistance and how?

Preliminary data indicate that the use of a morphometric model, an expert system with standardized questions, and an evaluation of snoring can be effective tools for diagnosing upper-airway sleep-disordered breathing (UASDB) in many cases. This eliminates the need for many sleep recordings.

Airway Obstruction↗

Modulation of the AMPA receptor by phospholipase A2: effect of the antidepressant trimipramine.

Previous results have shown that chronic administration of the antidepressant trimipramine prevents the formation of long-term potentiation in the rat hippocampus. In the present study, we compared the effects of chronic administration of trimipramine on the binding properties of hippocampal glutamate receptors and on the modulation of the DL-alpha-amino-3-hydroxy-5- methyl-isoxazolpropionic acid (AMPA) receptors by phospholipase A2 (PLA2). Whereas the binding characteristics of various agonist and antagonist ligands to the N-methyl-D-aspartate and the AMPA receptors were not modified by trimipramine treatment, there was a significant reduction in the increase in 3H-AMPA binding elicited by PLA2 treatment. Since activation of PLA2 has been reported to play a critical role in the formation of long-term potentiation, possibly mediated through a modification of the AMPA receptors, the results strengthen the hypothesis that PLA2-induced modification of 3H-AMPA binding is an important component of synaptic plasticity.

6-Cyano-7-nitroquinoxaline-2,3-dione↗

[3H]paroxetine binding and serotonin content of rat brain: absence of changes following antidepressant treatments.

The high affinity binding of [3H]paroxetine was measured in rat cerebral cortex following chronic treatment (21 days) with imipramine (5 mg/kg), trimipramine (5 mg/kg) and fluoxetine (2 mg/kg), in adult (3-4 months) or neonatal (7 days of age) rats. Tissue concentrations of serotonin and of its metabolite 5-hydroxyindole-3-acetic acid were also determined by high-performance liquid chromatography in cingulate cerebral cortex, rostral neostriatum, hippocampus and midbrain raphe nucleus region. No differences were found in any of the parameters of [3H]paroxetine binding after antidepressant administration, in either adult or neonatal animals. In addition, endogenous serotonin and 5-hydroxyindole-3-acetic acid levels were not different from control values in any of the regions examined. The present study shows that the serotonin uptake recognition site is resilient to changes after chronic treatment with therapeutic doses of antidepressants, and emphasizes the potential usefulness of uptake site ligands as markers to quantify innervation densities within the brain.

Animals↗

Chronic effects of trimipramine, an antidepressant, on hippocampal synaptic plasticity.

The effects of trimipramine (TRIM), an antidepressant agent, on both the induction and the maintenance of long-term potentiation (LTP) was investigated in area CA1 of hippocampal slice preparations. Chronic administration (7-9 days) of TRIM in rat caused a large reduction in the magnitude of LTP induced by a theta burst stimulation (TBS) paradigm. Results indicate that the reduction of LTP produced by trimipramine does not seem to result from major changes in the physiological properties of the slice preparations. First, paired-pulse facilitation was not impaired following the drug administration suggesting that transmitter release was not modified in TRIM-treated slices. Second, the burst responses evoked by high-frequency stimulation exhibited the typical buildup of depolarization, which is due to both a reduction of IPSPs and the activation of NMDA receptors. Finally, the treatment did not change the amount of short-term potentiation induced by TBS nor did it modify the component of excitatory postsynaptic potentials (EPSPs) mediated by the activation of NMDA receptors, suggesting that the NMDA receptor functions remained intact in TRIM-treated slices. Taken together the present data suggest that the loss of LTP maintenance in TRIM-treated animals is more likely the result of the disruption by trimipramine of cellular processes that follow LTP induction. In addition, the results provide evidence for a possible correlation between the reduction in LTP expression and learning deficits produced by chronic administration of trimipramine.

Animals↗

[Use of the Adinfer diagnostic system in a study of somatic disorders in general practice].

Somatic complaints are very common in general medical practice. They are not identified as psychic disorders and are treated symptomatically. We explore two kind of problems: 1. methodological problems such as the instruments to use to examine somatic complaints (it is evident that a checklist does not give the best results with suggestible patients); and 2. the relationships between somatic complaints and psychic disorders such as anxiety, depression and somatoform disorders. Psychiatric nosology is by no means clear and includes many diagnoses from "hysteria" to "hypochondria" or "psychosomatic", "somatization". In this study, we compare the symptoms collected by general practitioners, and their clinical diagnoses to those obtained by an automatic DSM-III diagnostic program. Adinfer was modified so that three DSM decision trees were systematically scanned: depressive, anxiety and somatoform disorders. This allows for an epidemiological study of somatic complaints and their relationship to depression and anxiety. The subjects' score on rating scales for anxiety and depression are compared with the diagnoses made by the expert system. We discuss the significance of somatic symptoms, the DSM classes and the value of expert systems in epidemiological studies.

Adult↗