Search

Study Objectives: The present study examined the sleep microstructure in relation to insomnia and chronic use of benzodiazepines in older adults., Participants: The participants were 46 older adults, aged 55 or older (mean age = 62.9), who were divided into three groups: insomnia sufferers using BZ chronically (n = 15), drug-free insomnia sufferers (n = 15), and self-defined good sleepers (n = 16)., Design: Participants completed 3 consecutive nights of polysomnography in the laboratory. Spectral analyses were carried on the second night of sleep recordings. Stages 2, 3, and 4 of the first 4 cycles of the second night were retained for the analysis., Results: Results showed no significant differences between drug-free insomnia sufferers and good sleepers. However, benzodiazepine users exhibited significantly less delta and theta activity over the night than did good sleepers. When compared to drug-free insomnia sufferers, benzodiazepine users had less delta and theta activity within cycle 2 only. Regarding high-frequency bands, benzodiazepine users had more beta 1 activity within cycle 3 than did good sleepers and more than both drug-free insomnia sufferers and good sleepers within cycle 4., Conclusions: The findings show that spectral analysis is an efficient tool to detect and quantify the effects of benzodiazepine use on sleep structure, particularly with older adults, a group for whom macrostructure sleep alterations due to physiologic aging are hard to distinguish from sleep changes induced by insomnia and the use of hypnotic drugs. In addition, these results raise important questions about the effects and indications of prolonged use of benzodiazepine medications in older adults with insomnia complaints.

Objective: The objective of the present study was to evaluate the relationship between objective and subjective sleep quality and objective and subjective evaluation of cognitive performance in older adults suffering of chronic insomnia (using or not benzodiazepines, BZs) or self-reported good sleepers.Methods: Three groups of participants 55 years and older were evaluated: 20 insomnia sufferers using BZs chronically, 20 drug-free insomnia sufferers and 20 good sleepers. Objective sleep (PSG) and subjective sleep (sleep diaries, SD) were measured. Objective measures of cognitive performance (attention/concentration, verbal/visual memory, executive function and psychomotor speed) and subjective perception of daily performance were evaluated.Results: Correlational analysis revealed that objective and subjective measures of daytime performance are differentially related to sleep quality for the three groups. An objective good night of sleep is associated with better cognitive performance in good sleepers and drug-free individuals. On the other hand, the impression of having slept well is related to better cognitive performance in good sleepers and chronic insomnia sufferers using BZs.Conclusion: Daytime performance and sleep quality are related, but differently so for a good sleeper, an insomnia sufferer without treatment, or one using BZs to alleviate sleep difficulties. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]