Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a group of neurodevelopmental disorders defined by stereotyped behavior and challenges in social communication and social interaction. ASD is associated with various comorbidities, including anxiety, gastrointestinal (GI) symptoms and sleep disorders. Evidence supports an association between intestinal dysbiosis and the severity of ASD-related symptoms. Probiotic intake was suggested to restore microbial homeostasis and decrease neurobehavioral, GI and sleep symptoms in individuals diagnosed with autism. This study aims to evaluate the acceptability and safety of a Bio-K + probiotics beverage in autistic children aged 4 to 11 years and the feasibility of the proposed research protocol to measure its impact on behaviors and comorbidities. The 30-week study consisted of daily supplementation with Bio-K + probiotics for 14 weeks. Acceptability and safety were monitored throughout the study. Feasibility was assessed by comparing recruitment and completion rates to pre-established thresholds. Preliminary impact of supplementation on behaviors (Autism Treatment Evaluation Checklist (ATEC) score), GI symptoms and sleep disorders was evaluated. Of the 23 children recruited (mean age 6.7 ± 2.2 years, 70

Background: Sleep disturbances are prevalent among individuals with eating disorders (EDs), yet limited research has explored the interplay between EDs and sleep during the COVID-19 pandemic. This study aimed to compare 1) self-reported sleep quality before the pandemic (retrospectively) among individuals with current EDs, remitted EDs, and controls (no psychiatric history); and 2) sleep quality differences among these groups from before to during the pandemic. Methods: Participants (N = 1033) completed the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index and reported anxiety and depression symptoms for the month before the pandemic onset (retrospectively) and during the pandemic. One-way ANCOVAs compared sleep quality among groups before the pandemic, adjusting for anxiety and depression symptoms and demographics. Repeated measures ANCOVAs assessed sleep quality differences between before and during the pandemic, controlling for the same covariates. Results: Pre-pandemic, individuals with current EDs reported the highest sleep disturbance levels, followed by those with remitted EDs and controls (F (2, 955) = 11.01, p < 0.001). During the pandemic, sleep disturbance worsened across all groups, with individuals in current and remitted ED groups experiencing a more significant deterioration than controls, even when accounting for anxiety and depression symptoms (p < 0.05). Limitations: The cross-sectional design and retrospective self-reports of sleep quality. Conclusions: Individuals with current and remitted EDs seemed to be vulnerable to sleep disruptions during the pandemic. Sleep disruptions may persist during ED remission. Awareness of these dynamics can enhance mental health practitioners’ attention to sleep disruptions in adults with current or remitted EDs.

The Signature Biobank is a longitudinal repository of biospecimen, psychological, sociodemographic, and diagnostic data that was created in 2012. The Signature Consortium represents a group of approximately one hundred Quebec-based transdisciplinary clinicians and research scientists with various expertise in the field of psychiatry. The objective of the Signature Biobank is to investigate the multi-faceted underpinnings of psychiatric disorders among patients in crisis. The Signature Consortium is expanding and includes new active members that seek to highlight the contributions made by Signature Biobank since its inception. This article details our research protocol, directions, and summarizes contributions. To date, we have collected biological samples (n = 1,986), and questionnaire data (n = 2,085) from psychiatric emergency patients of the Institut universitaire en santé mentale de Montréal (Quebec, Canada), with a large proportion from whom both data types were collected (n = 1,926). In addition to this, a subsample of patients was followed-up at hospital discharge, and two additional outpatient clinic appointments (n = 958 with at least one follow-up). In addition, a socio-demographically matched comparison group of individuals who were not hospitalized for psychiatric disorders (n = 149) was recruited from the surrounding catchment area. To summarize, a systematic review of the literature shows that the Signature Biobank has contributed to better characterizing psychiatric comorbidities, biological profiles, and psychosocial functioning across some of the most common psychiatric disorders, including psychosis, mood, anxiety, and substance use disorders. The Signature Biobank is now one of the world's largest repositories of data collected from patients receiving care at a psychiatric emergency unit.

Background/Objectives: This study explores the effects of two probiotics, Lactobacillus helveticus R0052 and Bifidobacterium longum R0175, on myocardial infarction (MI) and associated depression-like behaviours, with a focus on sex differences. Methods: MI was induced in adult male and female rats by occluding the left anterior coronary artery for 30 min, followed by 24 h of reperfusion. Probiotics were administered via drinking water for at least two weeks before ischemia. Infarct size, plasma C-reactive protein (CRP), estradiol levels, and intestinal permeability were then measured. Two weeks after, MI subgroups of rats were tested for depression-like behaviours. Results: We found a significant interaction between sex and probiotics in relation to infarct size. Probiotics significantly reduced the infarct size compared to the vehicle group in female rats but not in males. Probiotics increased the plasma estradiol levels and reduced the CRP concentrations in females, suggesting anti-inflammatory and cardioprotective properties. Probiotics significantly increased intestinal resistance following MI in males only, suggesting sex-specific physiological responses to treatment. Probiotics enhanced social interaction in males with MI but not in females. Similarly, in the forced swim test, probiotics reduced immobility in males with MI but increased it in females, further underscoring the sex-dependent effects of probiotics. Conclusions: This study reports cardioprotective effects of probiotics upon MI in female rats, while benefits in male rats were rather at the behavioural level. These results highlight distinct physiological and behavioural responses between sexes, emphasizing the need to account for sex differences in future tests of probiotics as a prophylactic treatment for MI.

Daylight Saving Time (DST) is the practice of setting the clocks one hour forward from Standard Time (ST) in the spring and back again to ST in the fall. This commentary discusses the impact of bi-annual time changes on sleep and circadian rhythms and suggests avenues to minimize negative outcomes on the well-being of Canadian citizens. Ideally, ST should be close to solar time, meaning that daylight is equally distributed before and after noon time, i.e., when the sun is at its highest point in the sky. In Canada, some provinces are proposing to opt out of DST to either return to constant ST throughout the year or to implement permanent DST. National and international associations of clinicians and researchers on sleep and biological rhythms and in health sciences have positioned themselves in favour of permanent ST. In Canada, the Canadian Sleep Society and the Canadian Society for Chronobiology have also issued such a position. This commentary focuses on the implications of previous research findings for sleep and health in Canada given its northern geographical location. It concludes with a research agenda focusing on the Canadian context.

La durée de sommeil des adolescents a connu un déclin important pendant le dernier siècle, il n’est donc pas surprenant que nombre d’entre eux éprouvent de la somnolence diurne. Cette recension de la littérature actualise les connaissances disponibles sur ce sujet d’importance. L’étiologie du manque de sommeil et de la somnolence chez les adolescents peut s’expliquer par différents facteurs tant biologiques, psychologiques que sociétaux. Le cycle veille-sommeil des adolescents connaît un décalage d’origine biologique dès le début de la maturation pubertaire, mais il est également affecté par l’exposition aux écrans, l’utilisation de substances psychoactives, l’heure de début des cours, leurs occupations extrascolaires, les réglementations parentales et certaines caractéristiques sociodémographiques. En outre, des troubles du sommeil d’origine physiologique peuvent être en cause, tels que la narcolepsie, l’apnée du sommeil ou le syndrome des jambes sans repos. Le manque de sommeil et la somnolence chez les adolescents ont des conséquences sur leur fonctionnement cognitif ainsi que sur leur régulation émotionnelle et attentionnelle, avec d’importantes conséquences sur la réussite académique. La mise en lumière des problématiques associées à la somnolence chez les adolescents peut servir de guide aux chercheurs et cliniciens vers le développement de pistes d’intervention. Enfin, des mesures de santé publique et de programmes de transfert de connaissances quant aux facteurs psychosociaux et sociétaux modifiables associés à la biorégulation veille-sommeil pourront être mieux considérés auprès des parents ainsi qu’aux niveaux politique et sociétal.

BACKGROUND:Children with neurodevelopmental disorders have a high risk of sleep disturbances, with insomnia being the most common sleep disorder (ie, chronic and frequent difficulties with going and staying asleep). Insomnia adversely affects the well-being of these children and their caregivers. Pediatric sleep experts recommend behavioral interventions as the first-line treatment option for children. Better Nights, Better Days for Children with Neurodevelopmental Disorders (BNBD-NDD) is a 5-session eHealth behavioral intervention delivered to parents to improve outcomes (eg, Pediatric Quality of Life Inventory [PedsQL]) for their children (ages 4-12 years) with insomnia and who have a diagnosis of mild to moderate attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder, autism spectrum disorder, cerebral palsy, or fetal alcohol spectrum disorder. If cost-effective, BNBD-NDD can be a scalable intervention that provides value to an underserved population.OBJECTIVE:This protocol outlines an economic evaluation conducted alongside the BNBD-NDD randomized controlled trial (RCT) that aims to assess its costs, efficacy, and cost-effectiveness compared to usual care.METHODS:The BNBD-NDD RCT evaluates the impacts of the intervention on children's sleep and quality of life, as well as parents' daytime functioning and psychosocial health. Parent participants were randomized to the BNBD-NDD treatment or to usual care. The economic evaluation assesses outcomes at baseline and 8 months later, which include the PedsQL as the primary measure. Quality of life outcomes facilitate the comparison of competing interventions across different populations and medical conditions. Cost items include the BNBD-NDD intervention and parent-reported usage of private and publicly funded resources for their children's insomnia. The economic evaluation involves a reference case cost-effectiveness analysis to examine the incremental cost of BNBD-NDD per units gained in the PedsQL from the family payer perspective and a cost-consequence analysis from a societal perspective. These analyses will be conducted over an 8-month time horizon.RESULTS:Research funding was obtained from the Kids Brain Health Network in 2015. Ethics were approved by the IWK Health Research Ethics Board and the University of Calgary Conjoint Health Research Ethics Board in January 2019 and June 2022, respectively. The BNBD-NDD RCT data collection commenced in June 2019 and ended in April 2022. The RCT data are currently being analyzed, and data relevant to the economic analysis will be analyzed concurrently.CONCLUSIONS:To our knowledge, this will be the first economic evaluation of an eHealth intervention for insomnia in children with neurodevelopmental disorders. This evaluation's findings can inform users and stakeholders regarding the costs and benefits of BNBD-NDD.TRIAL REGISTRATION:ClinicalTrial.gov NCT02694003; https://clinicaltrials.gov/study/NCT02694003.INTERNATIONAL REGISTERED REPORT IDENTIFIER (IRRID):DERR1-10.2196/46735.

Objective Pediatric insomnia is one of the most commonly reported disorders, especially in children with neurodevelopmental disorders. Better Nights, Better Days for Children with Neurodevelopmental Disorders ( BNBD-NDD ) is a transdiagnostic, self-guided, eHealth behavioral sleep intervention developed for parents of children with NDDs ages 4–12 years with insomnia. After usability testing, a randomized controlled trial (RCT) was conducted to evaluate the effectiveness of the BNBD-NDD program. By interviewing RCT participants after their outcome measures were collected, we sought to determine the barriers and facilitators that affect the reach, effectiveness, adoption, implementation, and maintenance of the BNBD-NDD intervention, as well as to assess whether barriers and facilitators differ across levels of engagement with the program and NDD groups. Method Twenty parents who had been randomized to the treatment condition of the RCT participated in this study. These parents participated in virtual semi-structured qualitative interviews about their experiences with the BNBD-NDD program. Rapid analysis was used, in which one researcher facilitated the interview, and another simultaneously coded the interview using the Reach, Effectiveness, Adoption, Implementation, and Maintenance (RE-AIM) framework. Results Overall, more facilitators than barriers were identified for Reach, Effectiveness, Implementation, and Maintenance, whereas for Adoption more barriers emerged. Participants who were engaged reported more facilitators about the BNBD-NDD program design and behavior change, while unengaged participants mentioned needing more support to help facilitate their use of the program. Lastly, parents of children with ASD reported more facilitators and more barriers than did parents of children with ADHD. Conclusion With this feedback from participants, we can optimize BNBD-NDD for large-scale implementation, by modifying the program to better support parents, helping them implement the strategies effectively at home, and increasing the accessibility of this evidence-based treatment.

Objectifs La somnolence diurne des adolescents a des impacts négatifs sur la santé physique, cognitive et émotionnelle, engendrant des conséquences directes ou indirectes sur leur santé mentale. Cette recension vise à décrire les outils spécialisés pour évaluer la somnolence diurne chez les adolescents afin que les intervenants en santé mentale puissent dépister une variété de troubles de sommeil des plus rares comme la narcolepsie jusqu’aux troubles les plus fréquents comme le délai d’éveil-sommeil chez les adolescents. Méthode Les articles sélectionnés devaient inclure des adolescents âgés de 13 à 18 ans ou le mot-clé « adolescent* ». Les mots-clés utilisés pour la recherche étaient les suivants : « sleepiness test » AND « questionnaire* ». Les articles devaient être écrits en français ou en anglais et publiés jusqu’au 9 janvier 2023. Un total de 277 articles scientifiques a été recensé. Au final, 35 articles ont été sélectionnés dans Medline ( https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/ ) rapportant des outils de mesure de somnolence auprès de la population adolescente. Résultats . Parmi les 35 articles, un total de 7 outils a été répertorié comme évaluant la somnolence diurne. Quatre outils subjectifs ont été recensés : 1) l’ Epworth Sleepiness Scale for Children and Adolescents (ESS-CHAD) ; 2) le Pediatric Daytime Sleepiness Scale (PDSS) ; 3) le Cleveland Adolescent Sleepiness Questionnaire (CASQ) ; 4) French Sleepiness Scale for Adolescents (FSSA). Ces questionnaires autorapportés ont l’avantage d’être moins coûteux et sont utilisés par les intervenants en santé mentale contrairement aux outils objectifs. Trois outils objectifs ont été rapportés : 1) le test itératif de latence d’endormissement, Multiple Sleep Latency Test (MSLT) ; 2) le test de maintien de l’éveil, Maintenance Wakefulness Test (MWT) ; 3) le test de somnolence pupillographique (PST). Conclusion Étant donné que les adolescents ont une plus grande tolérance à résister à la pression au sommeil de fin de journée, ce qui leur offre une plus grande opportunité d’exposition à la lumière, ils sont plus à risque de souffrir de somnolence diurne, ce qui risque d’interférer avec leur santé mentale. Les professionnels de santé mentale se doivent de dépister systématiquement la somnolence diurne chez les adolescents à l’aide d’outils subjectifs. Il existe des outils fiables, traduits et validés en français comme le FSSA et l’ESS-CHAD pour mesurer la somnolence diurne chez les adolescents et les mauvaises habitudes associées au manque de sommeil. Lorsque l’on suspecte la présence de troubles de sommeil d’origine médicale, comme la narcolepsie, les troubles du sommeil liés à l’agitation motrice ou l’apnée du sommeil, c’est alors que l’investigation de nature objective (polysomnographie nocturne, MLST et MWT) doit se poursuivre en collaboration avec le médecin de l’adolescent.

STUDY OBJECTIVES Giftedness is a multidimensional condition. It is increasingly put forward that gifted children (GC) could be a population at high risk for sleep problems. The current study investigated GC and typically developing children (TDC) for their habitual sleep, night-to-night sleep variability, and parental reports of child sleep. METHODS The sample consisted of 62 GC (31 girls; mean age = 9.63 ± 1.71 years) and 62 TDC (31 girls; mean age = 9.68 ± 1.68 years). Groups were age- and sex-matched. Giftedness was identified using Renzulli's three-factor definition of giftedness. Sleep duration, quality, and night-to-night variability were assessed using actigraphy. Parents were asked to complete the short-form version of the Children's Sleep Habits Questionnaire to report on their child's sleep. Groups were compared with independent sample t-tests and chi-square analyses. RESULTS GC displayed lower sleep efficiencies, more wake time after sleep onset, and more night-to-night sleep variability than TDC. GC were found to experience less social jetlag compared to TDC and they also showed more clinically significant sleep problems as reported by parents. CONCLUSIONS Sleep maintenance and stability tend to be challenged in GC. While there is growing evidence that greater sleep variability is associated with poorer physical and emotional health, studies have yet to examine these associations in GC specifically to get a better understanding of giftedness. Overall, there is a need for research focused on both predictors and consequences of sleep patterns and sleep variability in GC.

Objectives Daytime sleepiness in adolescents has negative impacts on physical, cognitive, and emotional health, with direct or indirect consequences on their mental health. This review aims to describe specialized tools assessing daytime sleepiness in adolescents so that mental health professionals can screen for a variety of sleep disorders, from the rarest ones, such as narcolepsy, to the most common ones, such as sleep-wake cycle delay in adolescents. Method Articles were selected in Medline (https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/) and targeted adolescents aged between 13 and 18 or the keyword "adolescent*". The keywords used were: "sleepiness test" AND "questionnaire*". Only articles in French or English and published until January 9, 2023 were included. A total of 277 scientific articles were screened. Final sample included a total of 35 articles describing sleepiness measurement tools in adolescents. Results Among the 35 articles, a total of seven daytime sleepiness measurement tools in adolescents were identified. Four of them were subjective: 1) the Epworth Sleepiness Scale for Children and Adolescents (ESS-CHAD), 2) the Pediatric Daytime Sleepiness Scale (PDSS), 3) the Cleveland Adolescent Sleepiness Questionnaire (CASQ) and 4) the French Sleepiness Scale for Adolescents (FSSA). These self-reported questionnaires are less expensive and they can be used easily by mental health professionals as opposed to objective tools. Three objective tools have been identified: 1) the multiple sleep latency test (MSLT), 2) the maintenance of wakefulness test or called the "Maintenance Wakefulness Test" (MWT) and 3) the pupillographic sleepiness test (PST). Conclusion Given that adolescents end-of the-day sleep pressure, often resulting in a greater opportunity to light exposure, they are more at risk for daytime sleepiness and consequently to mental health challenges. Mental health professionals should therefore systematically screen for daytime sleepiness in adolescents using subjective tools. There are reliable and validated tools that are translated into French, such as the FSSA and the ESS-CHAD to measure daytime sleepiness in adolescents and lifestyles problems associated with sleep loss When daytime sleepiness suggests the presence of medical-based sleep disorders, such as narcolepsy, restless sleep disorders or sleep apnea, it is important to pursue an investigation with objective tools (nocturnal polysomnography, MLST and MWT) in collaboration with the adolescent's physician.

SummaryNeurological uniqueness, maladaptive behaviours, as well as atypical sleep patterns are reported to be defining characteristics of giftedness, but this has received little empirical support. We studied the polysomnography recorded sleep of gifted and typically‐developing children together with features of maladaptive behaviours. The association of sleep macrostructure and sleep instability with maladaptive behaviours was also investigated in gifted children. In all, 19 gifted children (74% boys) and 17 typically‐developing children (76% boys) aged 6–12 years were studied. Giftedness was identified using Renzulli's three‐factor definition. The microarousal index, number of awakenings, and number of Stage shifts between sleep stages throughout the night were computed as sleep instability parameters. Maladaptive behaviours were assessed using the Child Behaviour Checklist. We found significantly more Stage N1 and less Stage N3 in gifted children compared to typically‐developing children. More Stage N1 sleep was correlated with more externalising problems and less Stage N3 sleep was correlated with more internalising problems. Gifted children also displayed more rapid eye movement (REM) sleep, but this was not significantly correlated with behavioural scales. Gifted children displayed two opposing trends of sleep instability: more instability involving N1 sleep and less instability involving N2, N3 and REM sleep. More total Stage shifts were correlated with more internalising and externalising problems. The results of this study provide initial evidence of polysomnography‐based characteristics of giftedness. Further studies are needed to explore common pathways linking sleep alterations and maladaptive behaviours in children with giftedness.

Over the past century a dramatic decline in sleep duration among adolescents, such as more than one hour of sleep loss per night, has been reported. A debt in sleep duration could lead to sleep deprivation, a major risk factor associated with daytime sleepiness. Sleepiness refers to the inability to maintain an adequate level of alertness during the day which may result in more or less being able to control falling asleep at inappropriate times. This literature review updates on sleepiness regarding its characteristics, etiology and consequences on adolescents. Studies revealed that from 25 % to 78 % of adolescents had reported sleepiness. Its manifestations may include heavy lids, yawns, difficulties to concentrate and emotional irritability. In addition, while it is recommended that adolescents under 18 years-old should sleep from eight to ten hours a night, only 63 % of them actually do so. The etiology of sleep deprivation and sleepiness in this population can be explained by various biological and societal factors. First, the sleep-wake cycle of adolescents shows a biological shift from the beginning of pubertal maturation, described as a perfect storm. It refers to a social jetlag by going to sleep and waking up later and accumulating a sleep debt during weekdays which they try to reimburse during weekends. This phenomenon can be explained by physiological changes such as a slower accumulation of sleep pressure. In addition to this perfect storm, environmental and societal factors contribute to the social jetlag and reduce sleep duration in adolescents. Screen exposure before bedtime can delay sleep and wake onset, which is a risk factor for sleeping debt. Substance use such as caffeine, cigarettes or electronic vaporizer, ADHD or freely available medication, alcohol, cannabis use or drug consumption could further disrupt sleep-wake cycle by stimulating, depressing or otherwise disrupting the central nervous system. Early, before 8:30 am, class start times have been associated with chronic sleep deprivation, higher level of sleepiness and delayed melatonin peak secretion. Adolescents working or doing extracurricular occupations for more than 20 hours a week are more at risk for reduced sleep duration and sleepiness. Parental supervision about sleep during the weekdays were associated with more appropriate bedtime. Adolescents from low socio-demographic characteristics and from minority ethnic groups have reported displaying a shorter sleep duration. Finally, sleep disorders of a physiological origin such as narcolepsy, sleep apnea or restless legs syndrome, may explain the sleep deprivation and sleepiness. Sleep deprivation and sleepiness in adolescents have consequences on their health. Cognitive functioning, such as problem solving, attention or memory, as well as school performance, can be compromised by sleep deprivation and sleepiness. At the psychological level, adolescents reporting sleepiness are more prone to display mental health problems: associations were found between sleepiness and subjective perception of depression, anxiety, somatic complaints as well as with antisocial behaviors. Finally, 68 % of 16 year-old adolescents reported they drove a car, and the reported sleepiness could lead to road accidents due to reduced attentional functioning, reaction time and decision-making abilities. In the United-States, from 7 % to 16.5 % of deadly accidents were related to driving while drowsy. Highlighting etiology and problems associated with sleep deprivation and sleepiness in adolescents could guide researchers and clinicians towards the development of possible interventions. Public health measures and knowledge transfer programs regarding modifiable psychosocial and societal factors associated with sleep-wake bioregulation could increase awareness in parents as well as in political and societal decision makers. (C) 2022 L'Ence & PRIME;phale, Paris.

Increasing evidence suggests that the intestinal microbiota composition could play a role in specific pathologies such as hypertension, obesity and diabetes. This study aims to demonstrate that the intestinal microbiota modulated by a diet creating dysbiosis increased the size of the myocardial infarction and that probiotics could attenuate this effect. To do this, microbiota transplants from rats fed a dysbiotic or non-dysbiotic diet in the presence or absence of probiotics were performed for 10 days on rats whose microbiota had been previously suppressed by antibiotic therapy. Then, the anterior coronary artery of the transplanted rats was occluded for 30 min. Infarct size was measured after 24 h of reperfusion, while signaling pathways were evaluated after 15 min of reperfusion. Intestinal resistance, plasma concentration of LPS (lipopolysaccharides), activation of NF-κB and Akt and composition of the microbiota were also measured. Our results demonstrate a larger infarct size in animals transplanted with the dysbiotic microbiota without probiotics compared to the other groups, including those that received the dysbiotic microbiota with probiotics. This increase in infarct size correlates with a higher firmicutes/bacteroidetes ratio, NF-kB phosphorylation and plasma LPS concentration, and a decrease in intestinal barrier resistance and Akt. These results indicate that dysbiotic microbiota promotes an increase in infarct size, an effect that probiotics can attenuate.

This study aimed to evaluate changes in sleep during the COVID‐19 outbreak, and used data‐driven approaches to identify distinct profiles of changes in sleep‐related behaviours. Demographic, behavioural and psychological factors associated with sleep changes were also investigated. An online population survey assessing sleep and mental health was distributed between 3 April and 24 June 2020. Retrospective questions were used to estimate temporal changes from before to during the outbreak. In 5,525 Canadian respondents (67.1% females, 16–95 years old: Mean ± SD = 55.6 ± 16.3 years), wake‐up times were significantly delayed relative to pre‐outbreak estimates (p < .001, ηp2 = 0.04). Occurrences of clinically meaningful sleep difficulties significantly increased from 36.0% before the outbreak to 50.5% during the outbreak (all p < .001, g ≥ 0.27). Three subgroups with distinct profiles of changes in sleep behaviours were identified: “Reduced Time in Bed”, “Delayed Sleep” and “Extended Time in Bed”. The “Reduced Time in Bed” and “Delayed Sleep” subgroups had more adverse sleep outcomes and psychological changes during the outbreak. The emergence of new sleep difficulties was independently associated with female sex, chronic illnesses, being employed, family responsibilities, earlier wake‐up times, higher stress levels, as well as heavier alcohol use and television exposure. The heterogeneity of sleep changes in response to the pandemic highlights the need for tailored interventions to address sleep problems.

We tested the hypothesis of an atypical scalp distribution of electroencephalography (EEG) activity during Rapid Eye Movement (REM) sleep in young autistic adults. EEG spectral activity and ratios along the anteroposterior axis and across hemispheres were compared in 16 neurotypical (NT) young adults and 17 individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). EEG spectral power was lower in the ASD group over the bilateral central and right parietal (beta activity) as well as bilateral occipital (beta, theta, and total activity) recording sites. The NT group displayed a significant posterior polarity of intra-hemispheric EEG activity while EEG activity was more evenly or anteriorly distributed in ASD participants. No significant inter-hemispheric EEG lateralization was found. Correlations between EEG distribution and ASD symptoms using the Autism Diagnostic Interview-Revised (ADI-R) showed that a higher posterior ratio was associated with a better ADI-R score on communication skills, whereas a higher anterior ratio was related to more restricted interests and repetitive behaviors. EEG activity thus appears to be atypically distributed over the scalp surface in young adults with autism during REM sleep within cerebral hemispheres, and this correlates with some ASD symptoms. These suggests the existence in autism of a common substrate between some of the symptoms of ASD and an atypical organization and/or functioning of the thalamo-cortical loop during REM sleep.

BACKGROUND:The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has caused global disruptions with serious psychological impacts. This study investigated the emergence of new psychiatric symptoms and the worsening of pre-existing mental disorders during the COVID-19 pandemic, identified factors associated with psychological worsening, and assessed changes in mental health service use.METHODS:An online survey was circulated between April 3 and June 23, 2020. Respondents were asked to complete mental health questionnaires based on 2 time referents: currently (i.e., during the outbreak) and in the month preceding the outbreak. A total of 4,294 Canadians between 16 and 99 years of age were subdivided based on the presence of self-reported psychiatric diagnoses.RESULTS:The proportion of respondents without prior psychiatric history who screened positive for generalized anxiety disorder and depression increased by 12% and 29%, respectively, during the outbreak. Occurrences of clinically important worsening in anxiety, depression, and suicidal ideation symptoms relative to pre-outbreak estimates were significantly higher in those with psychiatric diagnoses. Furthermore, 15% to 19% of respondents reported increased alcohol or cannabis use. Worse psychological changes relative to pre-outbreak estimate were associated with female sex, younger age, lower income, poorer coping skills, multiple psychiatric comorbidities, previous trauma exposure, deteriorating physical health, poorer family relationships, and lower exercising. Reductions in mental health care were associated with increased suicidal ideation.CONCLUSION:The worsening in mental health symptoms and the decline in access to care call for the urgent development of adapted interventions targeting both new mental disorders and pre-existing psychiatric conditions affected by the COVID-19 pandemic.