Hypothalamic–pituitary–gonadal activity in paradoxical and psychophysiological insomnia

Abstract

Background:Although insomnia is a sex-dimorphic disorder, there is limited knowledge about the association between sex hormones and insomnia. In the present study, the level of hypothalamus–pituitary–gonadal (HPG) axis activity was investigated in patients with insomnia by measuring serum levels of luteinizing hormone (LH), follicle stimulating hormone (FSH), 17α-Hydroxyprogesterone, testosterone, progesterone, estradiol, dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate, and sex hormone-binding globulin.Methods:Numbers of 19 patients; including 13 females (68.40%) with paradox insomnia (32–53 years; 43.20 ± 6.40) and 17 patients; including 8 females (47.05%) with psychophysiological insomnia (14–62 years; 38.40 ± 16.30) were recruited. Seventeen aged-matched normal sleeper consisted of 13 males (26–59 years; 40.70 ± 10) consisted of 13 males (76.50%) were also recruited as control group. Insomnia was diagnosed by a sleep clinician according to the International Classification of Sleep Disorders-Second Edition criteria and an overnight polysomnography (PSG). A volume of 5 ml of venous blood samples were collected, prepared, and stored at 8 AM under standard condition. Serum levels of hormones were measured using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay kits. Data were analyzed by Chi-square and ANCOVA. The associations between PSG and biochemical parameters were evaluated using multiple linear regression analysis.Results:There were no significant differences in all biochemical analyses between two insomnia subgroups (paradoxical and psychophysiological insomnia) and normal sleepers. Testosterone was positively related to maximum pulse transit time (PTT). Moreover, both LH and FSH were positively related to wake index and diastolic blood pressure.Conclusion:Although there were no significant differences in all HPG's hormones between groups, both LH and FSH were associated with wake index and diastolic blood pressure. Moreover, testosterone was positively related to PTT.

Alterations of Subcortical Brain Structures in Paradoxical and Psychophysiological Insomnia Disorder

“…Paradoxical insomnia was diagnosed by the complaints of short sleep duration and poor sleep quality despite near-normal objective sleep patterns in PSG i.e., the misperception index ≥ 0.9 (31). Detailed criteria for paradoxical insomnia diagnosis include (i) subjective insomnia symptoms, but total sleep time (TST) > 6 h and 30 min and sleep efficiency (SE) > 85% using overnight PSG; (ii) discrepancy between objective (PSG) and subjective (self-report) sleep measures (i.e., a difference of 60 min or more for TST, or a difference of at least 15% for SE) (32). Psychophysiological insomnia were defined based on psychiatric interview, subjective insomnia symptoms, as well TST <6 h and 30 min and SE <85% (24), indicating that subjective and objective sleep assessment parameters are congruent in patients with psychophysiological insomnia.…”

miR-7 mediates the signaling pathway of NE affecting FSH and LH synthesis in pig pituitary

“…Pituitary gonadotroph secretes luteinizing hormone (LH) and follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) and regulates mammalian reproductive process through hypothalamus-pituitary-gonadal (HPG) axis (Christensen et al 2012, Davis et al 2013, Ramaswamy & Weinbauer 2014. There are reports that the stress, including the environment and serious threat or psychological pressure to human, profoundly affects the activities of the HPG axis (Lennartsson et al 2012, Kageyama 2013, Oyola & Handa 2017, Mohammadi et al 2019, including the abnormalities of the synthesis and secretion of FSH and LH, in which the norepinephrine (NE) is involved (Lobo et al 1983, Moberg 1991, Johnson et al 1992, Toufexis et al 2014, Gu et al 2018. But up to now, the effects of NE on the synthesis and secretion of pituitary FSH and LH and the related mechanisms remain to be elucidated.…”

A prospective study of multiple sleep dimensions and hypertension risk among white, black and Hispanic/Latina women: findings from the Sister Study

“…Thus, these findings lend credence to the growing recognition of early adulthood as a sensitive period during which poor sleep particularly affects health [3]. In prior studies, the association between poor habitual sleep and hypertension risk has been robust among young adults [3], but this relationship is not evident in similarly designed studies among older adults [33]. Likewise, prior studies link poor habitual sleep with hypertension risk specifically in premenopausal, compared with postmenopausal, women [13].…”