Few biological systems are as ubiquitous as the circadian rhythm, a distributed yet inter-connected “system of systems” that coordinates the timing of physiological processes via a self-regulating, flexible network present at every level of biological organization, from cells to cities. Its functional role as the interface between time-dependent internal processes and external environmental cues exposes the circadian rhythm to disruption if these drift out of synchrony. This is especially common in industrialized human societies, where the abun-dance of resources – in combination with the fact that anthropogenic calendars have largely supplanted the sun as the primary determinant of our daily cycles of rest, activity, and sleep – disrupts the circadian rhythm’s ability to synchronize biological processes with each other and the geophysical solar day. Humans are now beholden to two increasingly disconnected clocks, and the ever-accelerating curve of human progress suggests our biological and so-cial times will only grow more disconnected. Longitudinal “out-of-clinic” monitoring is an ecologically valid alternative to well-controlled laboratory studies that can provide insight into how human circadian and behav-ioral rhythms exist in day-to-day life, and so has great potential to provide contextual data for translating chronobiological science into clinical intervention. However, methodological diversity, inconsistent terminology, insufficient reporting, and the sheer number of potential factors has slowed progress. Herein is presented scientific work focused on detecting and quantifying some of these factors, particularly “sociogenic” determinants such as the seven-day week. Through rhythmometric analysis of longitudinal in-home actigraphy, weekly be-havioral patterns were observed in both young adult males (n = 24, mean age = 23.46 years) and older adults with Parkinson’s disease (n = 13 [7 male], mean age = 60.62 years, mean Hoehn & Yahr Stage = 2.31) that evince a seven-day “circaseptan” rhythm of circadi-an and sleep disruption. This is hypothesized to be dependent upon the seven-day calendar week, particularly the regular and abrupt shifts in timing between work and rest days. These perturbations vary by chronotype in young adults, and by disease severity in Parkin-son’s disease. Collectively, these results contribute to the growing evidence that our daily rhythms are shaped by sociogenic factors in addition to well-documented environmental and biological mechanisms. Moreover, the study of these subtle infradian patterns presents serious – yet surmountable – methodological challenges that must be overcome in order to accurately monitor, quantify, analyze, report, and apply findings from observational studies of naturalistic human behavior to scientific and clinical problems.

Introduction: In Major Depressive (MDD) and Bipolar Disorders (BD), there are well-documented changes in sleep and biological rhythms. However, how sleep and biological rhythm disruptions impact functioning and quality of life (QOL) in these populations, and how these disruptions affect perinatal mood and anxiety remains little-known. In this thesis, we aimed to compare sleep and biological rhythms in individuals with and without mood disorders, and to investigate whether these measures can account for worsened functional impairment and QOL in these populations. We investigated whether clinical variables combined with sleep and biological rhythms during pregnancy can be used to predict depressive and anxiety symptom severity postpartum. Finally, we investigated longitudinal changes in sleep, and biological rhythms over the perinatal period. Results: Subjective and objective sleep and biological rhythm disruptions, and light exposure differences are wide-spread in MDD and BD. Regression analyses showed that subjective and objective sleep and biological rhythm disruptions can explain 43% of variance in QOL scores, and 52% of variance in functional impairment in MDD, BD and healthy controls. Clinical and demographic variables, objective and subjective sleep and biological rhythm measures collected during pregnancy accounted for 50% of postpartum depression and 49% of postpartum anxiety symptom severity variance, in regression analyses. Numerous sleep and biological rhythm changes occurred across multiple domains from pregnancy to postpartum. Conclusion: Results suggest that sleep and biological rhythm disruptions occur across many domains in mood disorders, including sleep, light exposure, daily activity rhythms and melatonin. These disruptions are associated with worse QOL and functioning in BD, MDD and healthy controls. Biological rhythms and sleep changes across the perinatal period can be used to predict severity of postpartum depressive and anxiety symptoms. This work highlights the importance of sleep and biological rhythms as intervention targets across different outcomes, and across different mood diagnoses. / Thesis / Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) / Sleep and biological rhythms are often disrupted in individuals with depression and bipolar disorder. In this thesis, we aimed to compare sleep and biological rhythms in individuals with depression or bipolar disorder, against individuals without these disorders. We investigated whether sleep and biological rhythms contribute to functioning and quality of life in these individuals. As sleep and biological rhythms are disrupted in pregnancy and following childbirth, we assessed whether sleep and biological rhythms during pregnancy can be used to predict postpartum depression and anxiety severity. Finally, we investigated changes in sleep, biological rhythms and light exposure from pregnancy to postpartum. Results indicate that disruptions in sleep, biological rhythms, and changes in light exposure are widespread in mood disorders. These disruptions are linked to worse quality of life and functioning. Sleep and biological rhythms change from pregnancy to postpartum, and can be used to predict severity of postpartum depression and anxiety.

This study provides the baseline and initial assessment of the napping habits of the United States Military Academy Class of 2007. This portion of a four-year longitudinal study examines data collected on 62 Cadets over 32 days from 4 October 2004 to 4 November 2004 using actigraphy data and sleep logs. Data were stratified and cleaned in accordance with nap infrastructure. A total of 607 naps were reported for a total of 73.3 hours of additional sleep. Naps ranged from 15 minutes to six hours and occurred most frequently on weekdays. This finding contrasts with research of other samples of adolescent college students. Weekend naps were shorter in duration than weekday naps. This finding was also a departure from current scientific nap research findings. Consistent with other research, most naps were between 30 minutes to one and one half hours in length. Frequency and duration of naps were greatest on Wednesdays. The primary type of nap taken was restorative, as opposed to appetitive or prophylactic in nature. Afternoon naps were more prevalent than morning naps, possibly reflecting Cadet class schedule rather than sleep need. Suggestions for additional research are proposed.

Human Systems Integration Report / Detailed research conducted over the past forty years has conclusively determined that varying degrees of sleep loss, shifts in sleep cycle, increased stress and even changes in time zone with respect to daylight transition result in a myriad of physiological and psychological degradations (Helmreich, 2000). Fatigue affects human performance, resulting in predictable changes not only on the individual level but also on the system as a whole. This descriptive study investigates the amount and quality of sleep received by aviation personnel assigned to an operational squadron conducting mine hunting operations. Wrist activity monitors (actigraphs) were used to determine objective assessments of sleep quantity and quantity. Demographic variables and additional measures such as reported sleepiness, fatigue ratings, caffeine and alcohol use, were also collected. Despite a number of factors which altered the original study design, significant differences in amount of sleep, sleep quality and predicted effectiveness of personnel by officer-enlisted status were identified.

Although sleep has been linked to changes in positive and negative affect across the lifespan, the prediction of sleep from affect has not been explored completely. As such, the main objective of this study was to examine the association between affect and sleep across the adult lifespan, using a novel gauge of affect, the positivity ratio. Both subjective and objective assessments of sleep were used in analyses. This study was an archival analysis of data collected as a part of the Midlife in the United States Study (MIDUS-II), with participants ranging from 34 to 83 years of age. Results revealed the positivity ratio to be a significant predictor of self-reported sleep quality and global sleep, but not of objective sleep measures. Additionally, the positivity ratio was found to increase with age and appears to predict better global sleep and sleep quality across all age groups. Implications of the findings are discussed.

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to determine if a novel physical activity intervention game (Bingocize®) designed for use in confined spaces and modified to include age appropriate activities would increase the time spent engaged in physical activity (PA) during indoor recess. Methods: Fifty-two third grade children wore triaxial accelerometers during three different recess conditions. The recess conditions included: “typical” indoor recess (TIR), indoor recess with children engaged in Bingocize® (IRB), and “typical” outdoor recess (TOR). Results: There were significant (p < 0.05) differences among the recess conditions for the time spent in sedentary, light, moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA) intensity categories, as well as PA counts, and steps. During IRB, TIR, and TOR the subject were sedentary 42.4% (±0.10), 71.9%(±0.10), and 17.5% (±0.10) of the recess time, respectively. During IRB, TIR and TOR the subjects spent 43.4%(±0.10), 18.5%(±0.10), and 74.2%(±0.12) engaged in MVPA, respectively. Conclusions: These results indicate that Bingocize® promotes increased PA during times when inclement weather necessitates indoor recess and larger space requirements for activity are not available.

Tyrimo objektas: 9 - tos klasės mergaičių fizinis aktyvumas, kūno kompozicija, patiriami pojūčiai po kryptingos fizinio ugdymo programos. Darbo tikslas – nustatyti kryptingai taikytų kūno kultūros pamokų poveikį 9 klasės mergaičių fiziniam aktyvumui, kūno kompozicijai, patiriamiems pojūčiams kūno kultūros pamokų metu bei fizinės veiklos metu laisvalaikiu. Išvados: Kryptingos kūno kultūros pamokos turėjo mažai įtakos mergaičių kūno kompozicijos rodiklių pokyčiams. Nežymų, statistiškai nereikšmingą (p>0,05) skirtingų kūno ir jo dalių segmentų pokytį galėjo lemti mergaičių lytinė branda. Dauguma eksperimentinės grupės mergaičių po aerobikos pobūdžio kūno kultūros pamokų patiriamus pojūčius vertino aukštesniais balais (p<0,05). / The object: experienced senses, physical activity and body composition of 9th grade adolescent girls after purposeful program of physical education. The aim - find out the effect of purposeful classes of physical education to the body composition, experiences and physical education of 9th grade adolescent girls during physical education classes and physical activity leisure time. Conclusions: Targeted physical education classes had little impact on girls' body composition. The slight, statistically insignificant (p>0.05) change in parts of the body and its segments could cause girls' puberty. 4. Results of girls of 9thgrade in the survey showed that after the physical education classes of aerobics most girls experienced senses rated with higher grades (p<0,05).

Chronic heart failure (HF) is a condition that affects more than 900,000 people in the UK. Mortality rates associated with the condition are high, with nearly 20% of patients dying within one year of diagnosis. Continuous monitoring and risk stratification can help identify patients at risk of deterioration and may consequently improve patients' likelihood of survival. Current repeated-measure risk stratification techniques for HF patients often rely on subjective perception of symptoms, such as breathlessness, and markers of fluid retention in the body (e.g. weight). Despite the common use of such markers, studies have shown that they offer limited effectiveness in predicting HF-related events. This thesis set out to identify and evaluate new markers for repeated-measure risk stratification of HF patients. It started with an exploration of traditional HF measurements, including weight, blood pressure, heart rate and symptom scores, and aimed to improve the performance of these measurements using a data-driven approach. A multi-variate model was developed from data acquired during a randomised controlled trial of remotely-monitored HF patients. The rare occurrence of HF-related adverse events during the trial required the developement of a careful methodology. This methodology helped identify the markers with most predictive ability, which achieved moderate performance at identifying patients at risk of HF-related adverse events, clearly outperforming commonly-used thresholds. Subsequently, this thesis explored the potential value of additional, accelerometer-derived physical activity (PA) and sleep markers. For this purpose, the ability of accelerometer-derived markers to differentiate between individuals with and without HF was evaluated. It was found that markers that summarise the frequency and duration of different PA intensities performed best at differentiating between the two groups and may therefore be most suitable for future use in repeated-measure applications. As part of the analysis of accelerometer-derived HF markers, a gap in the methodology of automated accelerometer processing was identified, namely the need for self-reported sleep-onset and wake-up information. As a result, Chapter 5 of this thesis describes the development and evaluation of a data-driven solution for this problem. In summary, this thesis explored both traditional and new, accelerometer-derived markers for the early detection of HF deterioration. It utilised sound methodology to overcome limitations faced by sparse and unbalanced datasets and filled a methodological gap in the processing of signals from wrist-worn accelerometers.

xiv, 111 p. A print copy of this title is available through the UO Libraries. Search the library catalog for the location and call number. / Sleep studies have rarely explored individual differences in sleep disruption and associated outcomes at early ages. In two studies, this dissertation addresses both of these limitations using actigraphy, an activity-derived assessment of sleep, to increase understanding of negative impacts of sleep on early development. Study 1 investigated sleep disruption in foster children and sleep-related treatment outcomes of the Multidimensional Treatment Foster Care for Preschoolers (MTFC-P) intervention program. Study 2 explored individual differences in the associations among sleep, children's behavior, and neurohormonal activity. Four groups of participants ages 3- to 7-years-old were included in both studies: (1) Regular foster care (RFC; n=15); (2) MTFC-P intervention (TFC; n= 17); (3) Low-income community (LIC; n= 18); and 4. Middle-income community (MIC; n=29). Results of Study 1 indicated greater sleep disruption in foster groups, as evidenced by longer sleep latencies and increased variability of sleep duration, in the TFC group than in community groups. There was also indication of a treatment effect as the TFC group slept longer than RFC and LIC groups and had earlier bedtimes, fell asleep earlier, and spent more time in bed than either community group. LIC children had marginally more active sleep than MIC children, indicating a possible role for socioeconomic status in sleep quality. In Study 2, correlational and causal modeling approaches were used to investigate associations among sleep disruption, problem behaviors, and diurnal cortisol. Influences of foster care placement, gender, and age were also examined as potential individual difference factors. Results of mixed linear autoregressive models indicated that children were more likely to display inattentive/hyperactive behaviors after shortened sleep durations. Furthermore, at lower sleep durations, differences among care groups and genders emerged as children in foster care and males were at heightened risk for inattentive/hyperactive behavior problems. No associations between sleep and disruptive problem behaviors were found and there were few associations with morning and evening cortisol values. Results of these studies are discussed in terms of the effectiveness of the MTFC-P program for addressing sleep problems in foster children. Additionally, clinical implications of the heightened likelihood of inattentive/hyperactive behavior problems after disrupted sleep in some children are discussed. / Adviser: Phil Fisher

abstract: Sleep is essential for physical and psychological health. Sleep has also been linked to the daily patterns of key stress-responsive physiological systems, specifically the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis and autonomic nervous system (ANS). Extant research examining sleep and diurnal patterns of cortisol, the primary end product of the HPA axis, is inconsistent. Moreover, it is not clear how specific aspects of sleep behavior (e.g., sleep duration, sleep quality, sleep variability) are related to specific components of diurnal cortisol rhythms. Salivary alpha-amylase (sAA) has been recognized as a surrogate marker of ANS activity, but limited research has explored relations between sleep and sAA diurnal rhythms. The current study utilized a modified ecological momentary assessment protocol to examine within- and between-person relations between multiple facets of sleep behavior using multiple methods (e.g., subjective report, actigraphy) and salivary cortisol and sAA. First year college students (N = 76) provided saliva samples and diary entries five times per day over the course of three days. Sleep was assessed via questionnaire, through daily diaries, and monitored objectively using actigraphy over a four day period. Between-person results revealed that shorter average sleep duration and greater sleep variability was related to lower levels of waking cortisol and flatter diurnal slopes across the day. Within-person results revealed that on nights when individuals slept for shorter durations than usual they also had lower levels of waking cortisol the next day. Sleep was not related to the cortisol awakening response (CAR) or diurnal patterns of sAA, in either between-person or within-person analyses. However, typical sleep behaviors measured via questionnaire were related to waking levels of sAA. Overall, this study provides a greater understanding of how multiple components of sleep, measured in naturalistic environments, is related to cortisol and sAA diurnal rhythms, and how day-to-day, within-person changes in sleep duration contribute to daily variations in cortisol. / Dissertation/Thesis / Masters Thesis Psychology 2015