Background: The neuropeptide S receptor (NPSR1) and its ligand neuropeptide S (NPS) have received increased attention in the last few years, as both establish a previously unknown system of neuromodulation. Animal research studies have suggested that NPS may be involved in arousal/wakefulness and may also have a crucial role in sleep regulation. The single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) rs324981 in NPSR1 has begun to shed light on a function of the NPS-system in human sleep regulation. Due to an amino acid exchange, the T-allele leads to an increased sensitivity of the NPSR1. In the only genomewide association study to date on circadian sleep parameters in humans, an association was found between rs324981 and regular bedtime. However, the sleep parameters in this study were only measured by self-rating. Therefore, our study aimed to replicate these findings using an objective measure of sleep. Methods: The study included n = 393 white subjects (62–79 years) who participated in an actigraphic assessment for determining sleep duration, rest duration, sleep onset, rest onset and sleep onset latency. Genotyping of the SNP rs324981 was performed using the TaqMan OpenArray System. Results: The genotype at rs324981 was not significantly associated with rest onset (bedtime) or sleep onset (p = .146 and p = .199, respectively). However, the SNP showed a significant effect on sleep- and rest duration (p = .007 and p = .003, respectively). Subjects that were homozygous for the minor T-allele had a significantly decreased sleep- and rest duration compared to A-allele carriers. Conclusion: The results of this study indicate that the sleep pattern in humans is influenced by the NPS-system. However, the previously reported association between bedtime and rs324981 could not be confirmed. The current finding of decreased sleep duration in T/T allele carriers is in accordance with studies in rodents reporting similar results after NPS application.

Background: The neuropeptide S receptor (NPSR1) and its ligand neuropeptide S (NPS) have received increased attention in the last few years, as both establish a previously unknown system of neuromodulation. Animal research studies have suggested that NPS may be involved in arousal/wakefulness and may also have a crucial role in sleep regulation. The single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) rs324981 in NPSR1 has begun to shed light on a function of the NPS-system in human sleep regulation. Due to an amino acid exchange, the T-allele leads to an increased sensitivity of the NPSR1. In the only genomewide association study to date on circadian sleep parameters in humans, an association was found between rs324981 and regular bedtime. However, the sleep parameters in this study were only measured by self-rating. Therefore, our study aimed to replicate these findings using an objective measure of sleep. Methods: The study included n = 393 white subjects (62–79 years) who participated in an actigraphic assessment for determining sleep duration, rest duration, sleep onset, rest onset and sleep onset latency. Genotyping of the SNP rs324981 was performed using the TaqMan OpenArray System. Results: The genotype at rs324981 was not significantly associated with rest onset (bedtime) or sleep onset (p = .146 and p = .199, respectively). However, the SNP showed a significant effect on sleep- and rest duration (p = .007 and p = .003, respectively). Subjects that were homozygous for the minor T-allele had a significantly decreased sleep- and rest duration compared to A-allele carriers. Conclusion: The results of this study indicate that the sleep pattern in humans is influenced by the NPS-system. However, the previously reported association between bedtime and rs324981 could not be confirmed. The current finding of decreased sleep duration in T/T allele carriers is in accordance with studies in rodents reporting similar results after NPS application.:Background; Methods; Results; Conclusions

Made available in DSpace on 2016-04-27T18:47:08Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Bernadete Cristina Ferreira Fleury da Fonseca.pdf: 467999 bytes, checksum: 7df80267b928376ff97fe883a22cf020 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2011-11-08 / The change in the base of the population pyramid shows that the population is aging, deserving attention and importance in our society in many ways. Considering the aspect of health, aging increases the chances of the emergence of chronic and degenerative diseases, loss of functional and social roles, which may impact on the quality of life of these subjects. In this aspect of health, we emphasize the importance of sleep in older adult life, from a sample of elderly women who had changes in sleep patterns, intending with this study, we study the physiological aspect of sleep in his old age, diseases and disorders associated most commonly found in older people and the impact that sleep may cause the quality of life in this population. The study is based on a literature review, exploratory, descriptive and reflective, in which articles were selected from data source SciELO, PubMed, and Lilacs, who discussed the phenomenon of sleep in old age, from 1995 to 2011. Sleep in aging has its own peculiarities in this age group, with decrease in stages 3 and 4, representing one of the most frequent complaints among the elderly, worse quality when associated with clinical conditions such as Sleep Apnea, Obesity, Diabetes Mellitus, Anxiety and Depression , medication use, social conditions such as institutionalization, bereavement and widowhood. The poor quality of sleep adversely affects the quality of life for seniors, but we can not generalize that elderly people sleep badly, because active seniors healthy and have no complaints or sleep disorders. Therefore, it is necessary that professionals involved in care of the elderly, given the condition of sleep in old age / A mudança na base da pirâmide populacional nos mostra que a população está envelhecendo, merecendo atenção e importância em nossa sociedade, sob vários aspectos. Considerando o aspecto saúde, no envelhecimento aumentam as possibilidades do surgimento de doenças crônicas e degenerativas, de perdas funcionais e de papéis sociais, os quais podem repercutir sobre a qualidade de vida destes sujeitos. Neste aspecto saúde, ressaltamos a importância do sono na vida dos idosos, verificado a partir de uma amostra de idosas que apresentou alterações no padrão do sono, pretendendo com este estudo, estudarmos o sono em seu aspecto fisiológico na velhice, os distúrbios e as doenças associadas mais comumente encontrados em idosos e qual o impacto que o sono pode ocasionar na qualidade de vida desta população. O estudo se baseia em uma revisão bibliográfica, de caráter exploratório, descritivo e reflexivo, no qual foram selecionados artigos a partir de fonte de dados do Scielo, Pubmed e Lilacs, que discutiram o fenômeno do sono na velhice, no período de 1995 a 2011. O sono no envelhecimento apresenta peculiaridades próprias desta faixa etária, havendo diminuição nos estágios 3 e 4, representando uma das queixas mais freqüentes entre os idosos, piorando a qualidade quando associado a condições clínicas como apnéia do sono, obesidade, diabetes mellitus, ansiedade e depressão, uso de medicamentos, condições sociais como a institucionalização, luto e viuvez. A má qualidade do sono repercute negativamente na qualidade de vida dos idosos, porém não podemos generalizar que a população idosa dorme mal, porque idosos ativos e saudáveis não apresentam queixas ou distúrbios do sono. Para tanto, faz-se necessário que profissionais envolvidos no atendimento do idoso, atentem a condição do sono na velhice