The purpose of this research was to estimate the effects of different meditation exercises on the improvement of sleep disorders in older people using pairwise and network meta-analyses. Qigong, Yoga, and Tai Chi could help older people improve their sleep disorders. Meditation exercises may have a role in the management of insomnia in older people. Chronic sleep loss or sleep disorders is a public health problem affecting older people and cause many health problems. We aim to estimate the effects of different meditation exercises on relieving and improvement of sleep disorders in older people using the pairwise and network meta-analyses. Randomized controlled trials, which were published in English and reported on meditation exercises for sleep disorders in the older people, were retrieved from PubMed and EMBASE up to May 2018. Publication bias of the included studies were assessed by the Cochrane Collaboration recommendations. Network meta-analysis was performed by ADDIS, and all test models used random-effects model. Pooled effect sizes were presented with weighted mean differences (WMDs) and 95% confidence interval (CI). A total of ten studies were included in our research. Pairwise comparisons indicated that Qigong could significantly improve the quality of sleep in older people with sleep disorders compared with Activities (WMD = − 4.28, 95% CI − 5.75 to − 2.81). In addition, there were significant differences in Education vs. Usual care (WMD = 2.60, 95% CI 1.03–4.17) and Tai Chi vs. Activities (WMD = − 1.05, 95% CI − 1.73 to − 0.38). With great consistence and convergence, network meta-analysis showed that there was a significant difference in Qigong vs. Activities (WMD = − 4.23, 95% CI − 8.31 to − 0.21). Moreover, Qigong showed a best outcome in relieving sleep disorders, followed by Yoga. Qigong, Yoga, and Tai Chi improved sleep disorders in the older people, and Qigong intervention had the best effect followed by Yoga. A long-term clinical verification should be needed in the future.

Preliminary studies conducted in our laboratory have confirmed that Bacopaside I (BS-I), a saponin compound isolated from Bacopa monnieri, displayed antidepressant-like activity in the mouse behavioral despair model. The present investigation aimed to verify the antidepressant-like action of BS-I using a mouse model of behavioral deficits induced by chronic unpredictable mild stress (CUMS) and further probe its underlying mechanism of action. Mice were exposed to CUMS for a period of 5 consecutive weeks to induce depression-like behavior. Then, oral gavage administrations with vehicle (model group), fluoxetine (12 mg/kg, positive group) or BS-I (5, 15, 45 mg/kg, treated group) once daily were started during the last two weeks of CUMS procedure. The results showed that BS-I significantly ameliorated CUMS-induced depression-like behaviors in mice, as characterized by an elevated sucrose consumption in the sucrose preference test and reduced immobility time without affecting spontaneous locomotor activity in the forced swimming test, tail suspension test and open field test. It was also found that BS-I treatment reversed the increased level of plasma corticosterone and decreased mRNA and protein expressions of glucocorticoid receptor induced by CUMS exposure, indicating that hypothalamic–pituitary–adrenal (HPA) axis hyperactivity of CUMS-exposed mice was restored by BS-I treatment. Furthermore, chronic administration of BS-I elevated expression levels of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) (mRNA and protein) and activated the phosphorylation of extracellular signal-regulated kinase and cAMP response element-binding protein in the hippocampus and prefrontal cortex in mice subjected to CUMS procedure. Taken together, these results indicated that BS-I exhibited an obvious antidepressant-like effect in mouse model of CUMS-induced depression that was mediated, at least in part, by modulating HPA hyperactivity and activating BDNF signaling pathway.

Objectives: We aimed to evaluate the metabolism differences in pontine tegmentum among patients with idiopathic RBD (iRBD), secondary RBD (sRBD) and healthy control groups using magnetic resonance spectroscopy (H-1-MRS) and whether metabolic changes are correlated with age in patients with RBD.Patients and methods: The iRBD, sRBD, and control groups were composed of 18, 26, and 29 patients, respectively. All participants underwent magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and H-1-MRS detection at 17:00 for approximately 15 min. All NAA/Cr, Cho/Cr and NAA/Cho ratios were automatically generated using FuncTool and the correlation between metabolism and age was analyzed by Pearson's correlation analysis.Results: Significant difference in NAA/Cr ratio was found between the sRBD group and the other groups (p < 0.05). Significant difference in NAA/Cho ratio was found among all groups (p < 0.05). Cho/Cr ratio remarkably increased in the control group (p < 0.05) compared with the other groups. NAA/Cr ratio had an adverse correlation with age in the control, iRBD, and sRBD groups (r = -0.822, p = 0.000 vs r = -0.663, p = 0.003 vs r = -0.583, p = 0.002). However, there was no correlation between participants age and Cho/Cr (r = -0.054, p = 0.651) or NAA/Cho (r = 0.029, p = 0.805).Conclusion: Neurons in the sRBD group were lost or damaged; however, this damage was not obvious in the iRBD group. Nevertheless, NAA and Cho levels were reduced in the local nerve cells of both RBD groups; these changes might indicate the sensitive pathogenic areas among patients with RBD. (C) 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Objective: This study aimed to investigate the influence of low-intensity pure tone auditory stimulation on patients with rapid eye movement (REM), sleep behavior disorder (RBD), and attempt to identify a new method of RBD intervention.Methods: Patients diagnosed with idiopathic RBD (iRBD) or symptomatic RBD (sRBD) were given auditory stimulation of low-intensity pure tones during their REM sleep. Sleep parameters including sleep process, sleep architecture as well as eye movements (EMs) frequency, and amplitude were recorded by polysomnography monitoring at pre-, intra-, and post-stimulation.Results: Thirteen iRBD and 18 sRBD patients completed this study. Auditory stimulation significantly reduced the EMs frequency and amplitude in iRBD and sRBD patients (p < 0.05). In the iRBD group, the intra-stimulated FSL increased significantly than the pre-stimulated FSL (p < 0.05). After stimulation, patients had similar sleep latency (FSL), rapid eye movement sleep latency (RSL) and periodic limb movements in sleep (PLMS) compared with control. In the sRBD group, the intra-stimulated total sleep time, sleep efficiency was significantly increased, whereas the RSL and PLMS were significantly reduced compared with the pre-stimulated ones (all p < 0.05). The sRBD patients had similar time in bed, FSL and RBD episodes compared with control (all p < 0.05) in spite of significant difference before stimulation (all p < 0.05). However, the sleep architecture was not influenced by the stimulation despite the decrease in N3% in iRBD group (p < 0.05).Conclusion: Low-intensity pure tone auditory stimulation may be a potentially effective intervention for RBD, especially for sRBD.

Background: Hypnic headache is a rare disorder characterized by frequent nocturnal attacks of a generalized headache in the elderly.Method: This is the first report identifying 2 Chinese hypnic headache cases according to its diagnostic criteria. Both of the patients received sodium ferulate (100 or 50 mg, 3 times/d) for 2 or 3 months.Results: The results of polysomnography in our cases indicated the onset of headache attacks in non-rapid eye movement sleep stage 2. Their symptoms were completely relieved for 1 year after the treatment.Conclusion: Our results suggest that sodium ferulate could be a potential treatment for hypnic headache.

OBJECTIVE:To assess the short-term efficacy of Semont maneuver for unilateral posterior semicircular canal benign paroxysmal positional vertigo (PC-BPPV).METHODS:The short-term efficacy of Semont maneuver was compared with a sham procedure in 128 patients with PC-BPPV by using a double-blinded prospective randomized controlled trial in the setting of a neurologic outpatient clinic in China. Analysis was based on the symptomatic status and the Dix-Hallpike maneuver on the fourth day. At this time, patients in both groups with a still positive Dix-Hallpike test were treated with Semont maneuver, and outcome was again assessed on the seventh day.RESULTS:On the fourth day, 55 (84.62%) of 65 patients in the treatment group showed complete resolution of symptoms compared with 9 (14.29%) of 63 patients in the control group. (p < 0.001) 59 (90.77%) of 65 and 52 (82.54%) of 63 patients reported resolution of symptoms in the treatment and original sham group, respectively (p = 0.17).CONCLUSION:Semont maneuver is shown to resolve PC-BPPV effectively, and patients should receive Semont maneuver once the PC-BPPV diagnosis was confirmed.

Rapid eye movement (REM) sleep deprivation causes learning and memory deficits. Neuropeptide S, a newly discovered neuropeptide, has been shown to regulate arousal, anxiety, and may enhance long-term memory formation and spatial memory. However, it is unknown whether neuropeptide S could improve the REM sleep deprivation-induced memory impairment. Here, we report that 72-h REM sleep deprivation in rats resulted in spatial memory impairment and reduced phosphorylation level of cAMP-response element binding protein in the hippocampus, both of which were reversed by central administration of neuropeptide S. The results suggest that neuropeptide S mitigates spatial memory impairment in rats induced by 72-h REM sleep deprivation, possibly through activating cAMP-response element binding protein phosphorylation in the hippocampus.

Objective To observe changes in the working memory and brain functional imaging on functional magnetic resonance imaging(fMRI) after 36 hours sleep deprivation (SD) in healthy volunteers and to explore the possible mechanism of the changes.Methods FMRI scannings were performed in ten male healthy young volunteers before and after 36 hours SD and results were analyzed using SPM2 software.Subjects were also tested LTR and PLUS task to measure the persistence and operation of working memory before and after 36 hours SD.Results The reaction time of LTR task after 36 hours SD ( (866 ± 102) ms)was significantly longer than that before SD ( (754 ± 91 ) ms, t = 2.59, P < 0.01 ).The reaction time of PLUS task after SD ( (848 ± 94) ms) was significantly longer ( t = 2.37, P < 0.05 ) than that before SD ( (756 ± 79) ms).The error rate of LTR task after SD (95.3% ± 3.56% ) was significantly higher (t=3.52,P < 0.01 ) than that before SD (84.8% ± 8.71% ).The error rate of PLUS task after SD (95.7% ±4.72% ) was significantly higher (t =3.38 ,P <0.01 ) than that before SD (84.2% ±9.66% ).There were no significant differences between the two tasks.The frontal and parietal lobes, anterior cingulate gyrus and thalamus were activated during memory tasks testing before SD.Brain activation was broader and stronger in PLUS task than in LTR task.After SD, activation in parietal lobe was decreased and activation in prefrontal and thalamus was increased significantly.Conclusions The working memory performance decreased after SD.Both LTR and PLUS tasks of working memory activate frontal and parietal lobes, anterior cingulate gyrus and thalamus.The activation of parietal lobe decreased and the activation of prefrontal lobe and thalamus increased after 36 hours SD.This is the possible mechanism of SD to causes the cognition decline.

PURPOSE:To determine the influence of tanshinone on the levels of nitric oxide synthase (NOS) and acetylcholinesterase (AChE) in the brain of an Alzheimer's Disease (AD) rat model and on its potential therapeutic mechanism.METHODS:100 Male Sprague Dawley rats were divided into three groups: control group, model group and tanshinone treatment group. 10 microg A beta 1-42 was injected bilaterally into the dorsal lateral region of the dentate gyrus in the hippocampus of rats in the model and tanshinone treatment groups to prepare the AD models. 24h after modeling, tanshinone, 50mg/kg, was administered by gastric perfusion to rats in the tanshinone treatment group. Later, immunohistochemical assay and Western blot analysis were used to detect expression of neuronal NOS (nNOS) and inducible NOS (iNOS) in the rat hippocampus. Activity of AChE in each subregion (CA1 approximately CA4) of rats' hippocampus was determined by a histochemical technique.RESULTS:Expression of nNOS in the model group was down-regulated whereas iNOS was up-regulated. After A beta 1-42 injection, the number of AChE positive fibers in each subregion (CA1 approximately CA4) of the hippocampus was decreased compared with controls. With tanshinone administration, the changes were improved to varying degrees.CONCLUSION:Tanshinone modulates AChE and NOS proteins concentrations in the hippocampus of AD rats. This may have therapeutic potential in AD rats.

Subjective and objective measures of sleep structure or quality could help to characterize the chronic sleep disturbances, with relation to patients’ risk factor profiles and co-morbidities. Studies have shown that discrepancies can occur between subjective data regarding sleep disturbances and the impact of insomnia and objective assays, and surrogate markers of sleep and sleep disturbances. Both objective and subjective measures should be incorporated into clinic studies. It seems likely that sleep quality is represented by a combination of more than one subjective sleep parameter. Objective and subjective assessments of sleep quality may relate to different parameters. Future studies incorporated both subjective and objective measures could help to address the sleep disorders.