Differential changes and interactions of autonomic functioning and sleep architecture before and after 50 years of age

Abstract

We hypothesize that the time when age-related changes in autonomic functioning and in sleep structure occur are different and that autonomic functioning modulates sleep architecture differently before and after 50 years of age. Sixty-eight healthy subjects (aged 20 to 79 years old, 49 of them women) were enrolled. Correlation analysis revealed that wake after sleep onset, the absolute and relative value of stage 1 (S1; S1%), and relative value of stage 2 (S2) were positively correlated with age; however, sleep efficiency, stage 3 (S3), S3%, and rapid-eye-movement latency (REML) were negatively correlated with age. Significant degenerations of sleep during normal aging were occurred after 50 years of age; however, significant declines of autonomic activity were showed before 50 years of age. Before 50 years of age, vagal function during sleep was negatively correlated with arousal index; however, after 50 years of age, it was positively correlated with S1 and S1%. In addition, sympathetic activity during wake stage was positively related to S2% only after 50 years of age. Our results imply that the age-related changes in autonomic functioning decline promptly as individuals leave the younger part of their adult life span and that age-related changes in sleep slowly develop as individuals enter the older part of their adult life span. Furthermore, while various aspects of sleep architecture are modulated by both the sympathetic and vagal nervous systems during adult life span, the sleep quality is mainly correlated with the sympathetic division after 50 years of age.

Lying Awake at Night: Cardiac Autonomic Activity in Relation to Sleep Onset and Maintenance

“…The decrease of heart rate with age has been confirmed by several studies in the literature (O'Brien et al, 1986;Larson et al, 2013;Porta et al, 2014). Similar findings are reported in a recent study by Kuo et al (2016). The authors (Kuo et al, 2016) investigated changes and interactions of autonomic functioning with age and sleep architecture and found that ANS has different effects on sleep FIGURE 5 | (Left) LFnu 10 min before sleep onset between short and long SOL for all age groups as measured by GLM model, χ 2 = 2.76, p = 0.09.…”

“…Similar findings are reported in a recent study by Kuo et al (2016). The authors (Kuo et al, 2016) investigated changes and interactions of autonomic functioning with age and sleep architecture and found that ANS has different effects on sleep FIGURE 5 | (Left) LFnu 10 min before sleep onset between short and long SOL for all age groups as measured by GLM model, χ 2 = 2.76, p = 0.09. (Right) HFnu 10 min before sleep onset between short and long SOL for all age groups as measured by GLM model, χ 2 = 3.88, p < 0.05. n, number of participants in the SOL group for the specific age group (bold for the long SOL group).…”

Número De Passos Despendido Por Dia Como Discriminante Da Percepção Negativa Do Sono Em Mulheres Idosas

“…Paralelamente, há diminuição do tempo total e da qualidade do sono 5 , pois os idosos também atenuam os níveis R. bras. Ci.…”

“…A insônia é considerada um distúrbio predominante em idosos 3 . Os mecanismos subjacentes envolvidos pela elevada taxa de incidência de distúrbio de sono na população idosa pode ser explicado pela regressão da fisiologia do sono em consonância com progressão etária, prevalência da apneia do sono e multimorbilidades [4][5][6] .…”

Melatonin Relations with Energy Metabolism as Possibly Involved in Fatal Mountain Road Traffic Accidents

“…Oxygen availability, being restored along descent, leads, indeed, to a rebound of parasympathetic tonus [254]. Vagotonusinversely relates to age [255,256] and tends to be augmented by melatonin [257][258][259]. Enhanced vagal activity can lead to accidents by provoking failures in consciousness.…”