• Sleep Medicine and Psychophysiology
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• v.15 no.1
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• pp.12-16
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• 2008

Light therapy (also called light treatment or phototherapy) involves scheduled exposure to bright artificial light. Evidence-based treatments for sleep disorders especially for circadian rhythm sleep disorders include light therapy and pharmacotherapy. In clinical practice, many of patients with sleep problems tend to impair circadian rhythmicity. Considering that light is the most potent entraining agent of circadian rhythm, careful use of light therapy can be recommended for patients with several kinds of sleep disorders. I briefly review the possible therapeutic mechanisms and clinical applications of light therapy, focusing on circadian sleep disorders.

• Sleep Medicine and Psychophysiology
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• v.29 no.2
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• pp.40-44
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• 2022

Bipolar disorders are a group of mood disorders characterised by relapsing mood episodes throughout the course of illness. Patients with bipolar disorders commonly present with various sleep problems. Patients in a manic episode generally show decreased need of sleep and those in a depressed episode frequently complain about hypersomnia. Current literature even points to evidence that patients with bipolar disorder in euthymic state may still show signs of sleep disturbances when compared to the general population. Clinicians may also note intricate interactions between changes of circadian rhythm and evolution of mood episodes in patients with bipolar disorder. Also, commonly prescribed medications which plays a crucial role in treatment of bipolar disorders including mood stabilisers and antipsychotic medications often cause significant weight gain over time. Being a risk factor of sleep apnoea, weight gain can predispose the patient to develop sleep apnoea. In this narrative review, we summarised current evidence and literature regarding characteristics of circadian rhythm and comorbid sleep apnoea in patients with bipolar disorder. We also present literature regarding implications of circadian disturbance and comorbid sleep apnoea in managing patients with bipolar disorder.

• Journal of Korean Biological Nursing Science
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• v.19 no.1
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• pp.48-54
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• 2017

Purpose: This study was done to identify the influence of severity of drinking problem, circadian rhythm and sleep quality in patients with alcohol use. Methods: A descriptive study design was utilized. Data were collected using self-report questionnaires from 139 patients with alcohol use disorder who were admitted to a psychiatric hospital in D city, Korea. The questionnaires included Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test (AUDIT), Composite Scale of Morningness (CMS), Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI), and Korea sleep scale A. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, Pearson's correlation coefficients, and multiple regressions using the SPSS 20.0 program. Results: There was significant correlations among severity of problem drinking, circadian rhythm, sleep quality and sleep disorder. The significant factors influencing sleep disorder were severity of problem drinking(${\beta}=.12$, p= .042), circadian rhythm(${\beta}=-.14$, p= .039) and sleep quality(${\beta}=.63$, p= < .001). This model explained 56% of variance in sleep disorder(F = 57.34, p= < .001). Conclusion: The results of this study suggest that the development of sleep intervention programs for alcohol use disorder patients needs to consider severity of alcohol use, circadian rhythm and sleep quality, and sleep assessment and intervention are needed the early stage of the treatment and recovery process.

• Sleep Medicine and Psychophysiology
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• v.22 no.1
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• pp.5-10
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• 2015

The secretion of melatonin exhibits a circadian rhythm entrained with the sleep-wake cycle. An alteration of this secretory rhythm has been found in various psychiatric disorders. This review summarizes the regulation of melatonin and its relationship to the circadian rhythm, major depressive disorder, bipolar disorder, seasonal affective disorder, Alzheimer's disease and autism. The review also looks at the effect of melatonin and melatonin agonist on sleep and symptoms of depression, bipolar disorder and seasonal affective disorder. In Alzheimer's disease, the circadian rhythm alterations are associated with the change of melatonin levels and melatonin receptors. It has been reported that melatonin and melatonin synthetic enzyme levels decrease in autism spectrum disorder.

• Sleep Medicine and Psychophysiology
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• v.1 no.2
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• pp.125-144
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• 1994

Recently excessive daytime sleepiness was found to have relations with various social, occupational, and health problems. This condition is common symptom of several sleep disorders, among which sleep apnea syndrome is most contributive. It is essential to assess daytime sleepiness exactly for the diagnosis of such sleep disorders. Multiple sleep latency test which is a valid and objective measurement technique of sleepiness is time and cost consuming, and so there is increasing need of scales measuring general level of daytime sleepiness which are quick and simple to perform for clinical and research purpose. And also, there have been a lot of sleep researches viewing sleep as a chronobiological process, especially in the study of circadian type of shift workers. In these studies they used various techniques of multiple demensions to assess sleepiness or circadian rhythm which concerns various psychological variables. Of these measurement techniques circadian type questionnaires might have some problems in their psychometric properties. So some of these morningness-eveningness questionnaires have been revised and more valid scales are being suggested by different authors. The author briefly reviewed various measurement techniques of sleepiness and circadian rhythm and introduced recently developed scales which are more valid allegedly, and finally discussed psychometric properties of these morningness-eveningness questionnaires.

• Sleep Medicine and Psychophysiology
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• v.20 no.1
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• pp.10-14
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• 2013

Sleep disturbances are commonly encountered problems in cancer patients. Sleep has a role in maintenance of immunity, metabolism, and quality of life but little has been known about the prevalence, risk factors, and effects on prognosis of sleep disturbances in patients with cancer. Also little attention has been made on proper assessment and management of sleep disorders in these patients. Recently, there have been some reports that sleep disorders are related with development of many cancers such as breast, colorectal, prostate, and endometrial cancers. An intermittent hypoxia and a disruption of circadian rhythm are considered as one of the possible mechanisms of cancer developments. More aggressive evaluation and meticulous management of sleep disturbances in cancer patients are essential to improve quality of life as well as prognosis.

• Journal of the Korean Society of School Health
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• v.34 no.2
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• pp.107-114
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• 2021

Purpose: The aim of this study was to investigate the factors influencing eating attitudes in female nursing students. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted on 121 university students in 2016. Data was collected using self reported questionnaires asking about circadian rhythm (Morningness-Eveningness Questionnaire), daytime sleepiness (Epworth Sleepiness Scale), sleep quality (Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index), and eating attitudes (Eating Attitudes Test-26). Stress resistance was measured with a brain quotient test. The data were analyzed with a t-test, ANOVA, Pearson's correlation analysis and linear regression using SPSS 22.0. Results: Eating attitudes were associated with daytime sleepiness, sleep quality, and stress resistance of the right hemisphere. Among these, daytime sleepiness and sleep quality had a significant effect on eating attitudes. Conclusion: The results of this study suggest that sleep should be taken into account when developing interventions for preventing eating disorders in female nursing students.

• Sleep Medicine and Psychophysiology
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• v.16 no.2
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• pp.56-60
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• 2009

Excessive daytime sleepiness in childhood might be abnormal phenomenon and often related to the sleep disorders or insufficient sleep duration. The most common cause of excessive daytime sleepiness would be insufficient sleep. However, narcolepsy, idiopathic hypersomnia, circadian rhythm sleep disorders, medication, medical illness and other sleep disorders that could cause insomnia and poor quality of sleep also result in excessive daytime sleepiness. The misdiagnosed and untreated excessive daytime sleepiness in childhood can lead to serious developmental and educational problem.

• Sleep Medicine and Psychophysiology
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• v.9 no.2
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• pp.81-85
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• 2002

There are several factors which are more likely to have sleep disorders in fertile women with menstruation than adult men. Menstrual cycle plays an important role in them. We describe herein the overview about the association of menstrual cycle and sleep disorders by viewing the interactions of menstrual cycle and circadian rhythm. We review how menstrual cycle affects sleep-wake cycle by reviewing menstrual cycle and estrous cycle to understand these interactions. Menstrual cycle and estrous cycle are mainly affected by hormonal cycle and light-dark cycle, respectively and they are generally determined in monthly rhythm and annual rhythm, respectively. The determination of estrous cycle is also affected by cyclic changes of hormones besides light-dark cycle. Although sleep-wake cycle almost alternates according to estrous cycle in non-primate mammals, it is hardly affected by menstrual cycle in primate mammals as compared with estrous cycle. But menstrual cycle affects sleep-wake cycle via desynchronization of sleep-wake cycle and temperature rhythm. The decrease of amplitude and phasic change during luteal phase in the daily fluctuation of body core temperature can partially contribute to the induction of sleep disorders in fertile women. In addition to this, premenstrual syndrome which nearly happens during luteal phase commonly have sleep problems. Therefore, we suggest that menstrual cycle and PMS can partially contribute the increase of sleep disorders in fertile women.

• Molecules and Cells
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• v.40 no.7
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• pp.450-456
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• 2017

Mammalian physiology and behavior are regulated by an internal time-keeping system, referred to as circadian rhythm. The circadian timing system has a hierarchical organization composed of the master clock in the suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN) and local clocks in extra-SCN brain regions and peripheral organs. The circadian clock molecular mechanism involves a network of transcription-translation feedback loops. In addition to the clinical association between circadian rhythm disruption and mood disorders, recent studies have suggested a molecular link between mood regulation and circadian rhythm. Specifically, genetic deletion of the circadian nuclear receptor Rev-$erb{\alpha}$ induces mania-like behavior caused by increased midbrain dopaminergic (DAergic) tone at dusk. The association between circadian rhythm and emotion-related behaviors can be applied to pathological conditions, including neurodegenerative diseases. In Parkinson's disease (PD), DAergic neurons in the substantia nigra pars compacta progressively degenerate leading to motor dysfunction. Patients with PD also exhibit non-motor symptoms, including sleep disorder and neuropsychiatric disorders. Thus, it is important to understand the mechanisms that link the molecular circadian clock and brain machinery in the regulation of emotional behaviors and related midbrain DAergic neuronal circuits in healthy and pathological states. This review summarizes the current literature regarding the association between circadian rhythm and mood regulation from a chronobiological perspective, and may provide insight into therapeutic approaches to target psychiatric symptoms in neurodegenerative diseases involving circadian rhythm dysfunction.