Insomnia trajectories predict chronic inflammation over 2 years at the transition to adulthood

Insomnia symptoms predict systemic inflammation in women, but not in men with inflammatory bowel disease

Insomnia has been suggested as a potential modulator of systemic inflammation. However, few studies have examined the longitudinal association between insomnia and inflammation as well as the role of sex differences, despite accumulating evidence of the vulnerability of women to immune consequences of disturbed sleep. In this study, we tested the association between self-reported insomnia symptoms and serum C-reactive protein, a marker of systemic inflammation, at 1-year follow-up, in 54 outpatients with inflammatory bowel disease (52.81 ± 16.09, 40.7% women). Insomnia symptoms were measured using the Insomnia Severity Index. After controlling for baseline inflammation and health variables, longitudinal moderated regression analysis showed that baseline insomnia symptoms predicted C-reactive protein levels at follow-up in women (β = 0.416, p = 0.014), but not in men (β = -0.179, p = 0.212). Results were not influenced by sex differences in insomnia severity or C-reactive protein levels. This study suggests insomnia symptoms may partially influence systemic inflammation in women with inflammatory bowel disease. Sex-specific psychological, immune and neuroendocrine pathways linking sleep to inflammation should be further elucidated.

Common sleep characteristics and the risk of common perinatal complications and adverse outcomes: a multi-sample, bidirectional Mendelian randomization study

BACKGROUND

Improving maternal and child health has been a global priority since the early 2000s, with a focus on reducing perinatal complications and improving overall maternal well-being. Sleep characteristics influence various health outcomes, yet their role in perinatal complications and adverse outcomes remains poorly understood.

METHODS

A Mendelian randomization analysis was conducted, using seven common sleep characteristics (sleeplessness, sleep duration, getting up in the morning, daytime napping, morning/evening person, narcolepsy, snoring) as exposure factors and twelve common perinatal complications and adverse outcomes (preterm birth, polyhydramnios, slow fetal growth and fetal malnutrition, dystocia, umbilical cord-related complications, postpartum hemorrhage, fetal distress, gestational diabetes, pregnancy hypertension, eclampsia, abruptio placentae, placenta previa) as outcomes. A two-sample Mendelian randomization analysis was performed to infer causal effects.

RESULTS

The inverse variance weighted (IVW) analysis showed that sleeplessness was associated with preterm birth, sleep duration with gestational diabetes, and narcolepsy with pregnancy hypertension and eclampsia. These results were consistently supported by other methods, suggesting that sleep characteristics are causal risk factors for perinatal complications and adverse outcomes.

CONCLUSION

This study found that sleeplessness is associated with preterm birth, sleep duration with gestational diabetes, and narcolepsy with pregnancy hypertension and eclampsia. These findings contribute to a better understanding of the impact of sleep characteristics on common perinatal complications and adverse outcomes. Targeting sleep interventions, such as improving sleep duration and addressing sleep disorders like sleeplessness and narcolepsy, may reduce the incidence of preterm birth, gestational diabetes, and pregnancy hypertension, offering effective strategies to improve maternal and infant health outcomes.

Neuroregulatory and clinical efficacy of auricular vagus nerve stimulation in elderly patients with chronic insomnia comorbid with functional dyspepsia: protocol for a randomized controlled trial

Objective

This study innovatively employs transcutaneous auricular vagus nerve stimulation (taVNS), a non-invasive physical therapy, to intervene in elderly patients with chronic insomnia (CI) comorbid with functional dyspepsia (FD). Through systematic investigation of the molecular mechanisms underlying vagus nerve pathway regulation in ameliorating intestinal inflammatory microenvironment and modulating central neurotransmitter homeostasis, this research aims to provide a novel, neuromodulation-based precision therapeutic approach characterized by favorable safety and tolerability for integrated management of geriatric comorbidities.

Methods/design

This double-blind randomized controlled trial will enroll 60 elderly patients (60-85 years) meeting ICSD-3 criteria for CI and Rome IV criteria for FD. Using block randomization with computer-generated sequences, eligible participants will be allocated 1:1 to either active taVNS group (n = 30) or sham control group (n = 30). The CFDA-certified transcutaneous vagus nerve stimulator (Model tVNS501, Reach Medical, China; Registration No. SuXieZhun20212090050) will be positioned at standardized anatomical sites: the concha cymba (the inferior margin of the intersection between the superior and inferior crura of the antihelix within the cymba conchae), electrical stimulation will deliver with fixed parameters (frequency: 80 Hz, pulse width: 100 μs, pulse 40-60s). The active group will receive validated taVNS parameters, while the sham group will undergo identical procedures without electrical output. Interventions will be administered 30 min per session, 5 sessions weekly for 3 consecutive weeks. Primary endpoints include changes in Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) and Nepean Dyspepsia Symptom Index (NDSI) at week 3. Secondary outcomes encompass Insomnia Severity Index (ISI), 36-Item Short Form Survey (SF-36), and serum biomarkers (pro-inflammatory cytokines IL-1β, IL-4, IL-6, TNF-α, hs-CRP, TGF-β; neurotransmitters Dopamine (DA), serotonin (5-hydroxytryptamine, 5-HT), norepinephrine (NE), Glutamate (Glu), γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA)). Safety profiles will be systematically evaluated using CTCAE v5.0 criteria, with all adverse events documented throughout the study.

Discussion

This study mitigate the adverse effects associated with the significant side effects of oral medications in elderly patients with CI comorbid with FD. It seeks to scientifically validate the clinical efficacy of taVNS therapy, elucidate its underlying anti-inflammatory and neuromodulatory mechanisms, and establish a multimodal evidence chain integrating "efficacy-inflammation-neuromodulation." By doing so, this research provides a novel, convenient, scientifically validated, effective, and safe non-pharmacological therapeutic approach for elderly patients with CI and FD, it offers innovative insights and methodologies for the development of pharmaceuticals, medical devices, and related products.

Advancements in the physiopathological study of acupuncture treatment for insomnia: A review

Insomnia is a common sleep disorder that significantly impacts an individual's psychological and physical health, characterized by persistent difficulties in falling asleep, decreased sleep quality, and impaired daytime functioning. Traditional treatment approaches primarily rely on pharmacotherapy and behavioral therapy, yet not all patients benefit from these methods, and they often come with certain side effects. Thus, identifying safe and effective alternative or adjunctive treatments is of paramount importance. The purpose of this paper is to review the research progress on acupuncture in the treatment of insomnia and to explore the mechanisms by which acupuncture may treat insomnia through regulating neurotransmitters and nervous system, anti-inflammatory actions, and improving neuroplasticity, providing evidence to support the broad application of acupuncture in clinical practice.

Association of Biomarkers of Neuronal Injury and Inflammation With Insomnia Trajectories After Traumatic Brain Injury: A TRACK-TBI Study

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES

Insomnia affects about one-third of patients with traumatic brain injury and is associated with worsened outcomes after injury. We hypothesized that higher levels of plasma neuroinflammation biomarkers at the time of TBI would be associated with worse 12-month insomnia trajectories.

METHODS

Participants were prospectively enrolled from 18 level-1 trauma centers participating in the Transforming Research and Clinical Knowledge in Traumatic Brain Injury study from February 26, 2014, to August 8, 2018. Plasma glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP), high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hsCRP), S100b, neuron-specific enolase (NSE), and ubiquitin carboxyl-terminal hydrolase-L1 (UCH-L1) were collected on days 1 (D1) and 14 (D14) after TBI. The insomnia severity index was collected at 2 weeks, 3, 6, and 12 months postinjury. Participants were classified into insomnia trajectory classes based on a latent class model. We assessed the association of biomarkers with insomnia trajectories, controlling for medical and psychological comorbidities and demographics.

RESULTS

Two thousand twenty-two individuals with TBI were studied. Elevations in D1 hsCRP were associated with persistent insomnia (severe, odds ratio [OR] = 1.33 [1.11, 1.59], p = 0.002; mild, OR = 1.10 [1.02, 1.19], p = 0.011). Similarly, D14 hsCRP elevations were associated with persistent insomnia (severe, OR = 1.27 [1.02, 1.59], p = 0.03). Of interest, D1 GFAP was lower in persistent severe insomnia (median [Q1, Q3]: 154 [19, 445] pg/mL) compared with resolving mild (491 [154, 1,423], p < 0.001) and persistent mild (344 [79, 1,287], p < 0.001). D14 GFAP was similarly lower in persistent (11.8 [6.4, 19.4], p = 0.001) and resolving (13.9 [10.3, 20.7], p = 0.011) severe insomnia compared with resolving mild (20.6 [12.4, 39.6]. Accordingly, increases in D1 GFAP were associated with reduced likelihood of having persistent severe (OR = 0.76 [95% CI 0.63-0.92], p = 0.004) and persistent mild (OR = 0.88 [0.81, 0.96], p = 0.003) compared with mild resolving insomnia. No differences were found with other biomarkers.

DISCUSSION

Elevated plasma hsCRP and, surprisingly, lower GFAP were associated with adverse insomnia trajectories after TBI. Results support future prospective studies to examine their utility in guiding insomnia care after TBI. Further work is needed to explore potential mechanistic connections between GFAP levels and the adverse insomnia trajectories.