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Melatonin is one of the most used pharmacologic treatments for sleep problems in autism spectrum disorder, though its relationship with circadian and sleep parameters is still not well stablished. A naturalistic study was conducted in children with autism spectrum disorder, previously drug-naïve, before and after treatment with immediate-release melatonin. Circadian rhythms and sleep parameters were studied using an ambulatory circadian-monitoring device, and saliva samples were collected enabling determination of dim light melatonin onset. Twenty-six children with autism spectrum disorder (age 10.50  ±  2.91) were included. Immediate-release melatonin modified circadian rhythm as indicated by wrist skin temperature, showing an increase at night. A positive correlation was found between time of peak melatonin and sleep efficiency improvement values. Sleep-onset latency and efficiency improved with immediate-release melatonin. Immediate-release melatonin could be an effective treatment to improve sleep onset and restore a typical pattern of wrist temperature, which appears to be lost in autism spectrum disorder.

Introduction: Sleep problems are prevalent among individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), and a role has been attributed to melatonin in this multifactorial comorbidity., Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted on 41 autistic children and adolescents (9.9 ± 3.02) and 24 children and adolescents with a normal intellectual function (8.42 ± 2.43) were used as controls. Subjects were matched for sex, body mass index, and pubertal stage, and all were drug-naive. Circadian and sleep parameters were studied using an ambulatory circadian monitoring (ACM) device, and saliva samples were collected around the onset of sleep to determine dim light melatonin onset (DLMO)., Results: Prepubertal individuals with ASD presented later DLMO and an earlier decline in melatonin during adolescence. A relationship was found between melatonin and both sleep and circadian parameters. Participants and controls with later DLMOs were more likely to have delayed sleep onset times. In the ASD group, subjects with the later daytime midpoint of temperature had a later DLMO. Later melatonin peak time and DLMO time were related to lower general motor activity and lower stability of its rhythms., Conclusion: The melatonin secretion pattern was different in individuals with ASD, and it showed a relationship with sleep and circadian parameters. Alterations in DLMO have not been previously reported in ASD with the exception of more variable DLMO timing; however, high variability in the study design and sample characteristics prevents direct comparison. The ACM device enabled the measurement of circadian rhythm, a scarcely described parameter in autistic children. When studied in combination with other measures such as melatonin, ACM can offer further knowledge on sleep problems in ASD., Competing Interests: The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2022 Martinez-Cayuelas, Gavela-Pérez, Rodrigo-Moreno, Merino-Andreu, Vales-Villamarín, Pérez-Nadador, Garcés and Soriano-Guillén.)

Background: Sleep problems are a prevalent comorbidity in autism spectrum disorder (ASD) with a multifactorial basis in which circadian misalignment has been described., Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted including 52 children and adolescents with ASD (9.85 ± 3.07) and 27 children and adolescent controls with normal intellectual functioning (8.81 ± 2.14). They were matched for age, sex, and body mass index, and all were drug-naïve. An ambulatory circadian monitoring device was used to record temperature and motor, body position, sleep, and light intensity., Results: Individuals with ASD presented longer sleep-onset latency, lower sleep efficiency, and decreased total sleep time and tended to be more sedentary and have less exposure to light. They also showed lower amplitude, low interdaily stability, and a different pattern of wrist temperature across the day, with a midpoint of sleep that did not concur with sleep midpoint indicated by the rest of circadian parameters., Conclusions: The sleep problems observed in this sample resemble those reported previously, with the exception of nocturnal awakenings which did not show differences. The ambulatory circadian monitoring device enabled measurement of circadian parameters such as temperature which, until now, were scarcely described in children with ASD and could be used to better understand sleep and circadian system in ASD., (Copyright © 2021 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

One of the main objectives of the Spanish Sleep Society is to promote healthy sleep in both the general population and in health professionals. This document aims to conduct a review of the current scientific literature on sleep habits that can serve as the basis on which to establish a set of general recommendations, regarding healthy sleep, for use by the general population in Spain as well as to identify the main challenges faced by research into sleep habits. The document has been developed by a multidisciplinary team made up of members of the Spanish Sleep Society who are experts in paediatric sleep medicine, clinical neurophysiology, pulmonology, neurology, chronobiology, physiology and psychology. The existing scientific literature dealing with sleep habits in the general population was reviewed, and the following aspects were addressed: the current state of sleep habits in the Spanish population; a generic review of the optimum number of hours of sleep; the impact of the environmental setting (noise, temperature, illumination, etc.), hours of sleep, diet and sport, together with several specific sections for children and teenagers, shift-workers and drivers of different vehicles. The conclusions from all the aspects addressed in this document have resulted in a set of final general recommendations that will serve as a guide for the general population and health professionals. Likewise, the principal environmental challenges and future lines of research are also discussed.

Introduction: Sleep disorders are common in children with neurological disorders. The aim of this study is to know the opinion of neuropediatricians and the prevalence of these disturbances in Spain., Patients and Methods: Multicenter cross-sectional study (12 Spanish hospitals, 15 researchers). BEARS survey was collected in three groups: A (2-5 years), (6-12 years), and C (> 12 years). The opinion of neuropediatricians was also collected., Results: 939 questionnaires were filled. The main results in groups B and C were ADHD (32.4% and 30.1% respectively) and headache (25.1% and 27.6% respectively), whereas in group A neurodevelopmental disorders (32.4%) and epilepsy (21.4%) were the main diagnoses. Disturbances in at least one area of sleep were found in 92% of children in group A (n = 209, mean 3 years), 64.2% in group B (n = 534, mean 9.4 years) and 58.2% in group C (n = 196, mean 13.7 years). Sixty-one surveys were answered by neuropediatricians (16.75% of the total sent), estimating that less than a quarter of the patients (24.5%) suffered. Even, up to 23% of doctors claimed that the prevalence of sleep disorders was < 10%., Conclusions: 58-92% of parents-patients under follow up at a neuropediatrician office in Spain have some degree of disturbed sleep. Although most neurologists emphasize the importance of an early diagnosis and treatment of sleep disorders in children with neurological disorders, its frequency is often underestimated (risk of underdiagnosis).

Introduction: The development of atypical features in rolandic epilepsy is part of a clinical spectrum of phenotypes that are variable, idiopathic and age-dependent, as well as having a genetically determined predisposition., Aim: To study the electroclinical characteristics suggesting an atypical development in rolandic epilepsy., Patients and Methods: A retrospective search was performed in 133 children diagnosed with atypical benign focal epilepsy (ABFE), Landau-Kleffner syndrome and continuous spike-wave during sleep (CSWS). Nine patients were selected, all of whom presented atypical clinical features and an electroencephalogram (EEG) pattern of electrical status epilepticus during sleep (ESES) in the course of their rolandic epilepsy., Results: The average age at onset of rolandic epilepsy was 5 years. Patients showed a deterioration of both their clinical features and their EEG recording one and a half years later, on average. ABFE was observed in three of them and CSWS in six. No cases of Landau-Kleffner syndrome were found. The EEG in wakefulness showed the focus to be in the left centrotemporal region in six patients and in three of them it was on the right-hand side. All the patients presented ESES in the EEG during sleep. An atypical pattern was observed in the regional ESES in three of the patients. Moreover, cognitive and behavioural disorders were detected due to deficits in specific learning areas, such as language, memory, attention and restlessness., Conclusions: The early onset of rolandic epilepsy, the appearance of new seizures with an increased frequency and the frontocentrotemporal focus in the EEG, which increases in frequency, both in wakefulness and in sleep, are all electroclinical characteristics of an atypical development.

Sleep problems are highly prevalent among our children and adolescents. Its treatment is mainly based on cognitive behavioural therapies and habit modification procedures. However, the use of sleep promoting drugs and substances is widespread without being supported by clinical guidelines. Exogenous melatonin is a neurohormone marketed as a nutritional supplement that is being increasingly used in the management of sleep problems, and with no control over its use. The consensus document is presented on the use of melatonin in sleep-onset insomnia prepared by representatives of the Spanish Paediatric Association, the Spanish Society of Sleep, the Spanish Society of Paediatric Outpatients and Primary Care, the Spanish Society for Adolescent Medicine, the Spanish Society of Child Psychiatry, and the Spanish Society of Paediatric Neurology., (Copyright © 2014 Asociación Española de Pediatría. Published by Elsevier Espana. All rights reserved.)

To test whether mental activities collected from non-REM sleep are influenced by REM sleep, we suppressed REM sleep using clomipramine 50mg (an antidepressant) or placebo in the evening, in a double blind cross-over design, in 11 healthy young men. Subjects were awakened every hour and asked about their mental activity. The marked (81%, range 39-98%) REM-sleep suppression induced by clomipramine did not substantially affect any aspects of dream recall (report length, complexity, bizarreness, pleasantness and self-perception of dream or thought-like mentation). Since long, complex and bizarre dreams persist even after suppressing REM sleep either partially or totally, it suggests that the generation of mental activity during sleep is independent of sleep stage., (Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Restless legs syndrome (RLS) in the paediatric age is a common disorder and is in many cases associated to attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Yet, it remains 'the great unknown' in paediatrics. We do not usually think of it when examining a child with sleep problems, and there is even a tendency to deny its existence in children. ADHD and RLS have common symptoms and frequently share a common aetiopathogenesis (iron deficiency anaemia). Although important progress has been made in recent years in the research conducted on both disorders, further studies must be carried out to examine different treatments or other aspects of RLS in the paediatric population.

Study Objective: To compare sleep characteristics, rapid eye movement (REM) sleep without atonia, and REM sleep behavior disorder (RBD) in patients with progressive supranuclear palsy (tauopathy), patients with Parkinson's disease (a synucleinopathy), and control subjects., Design: Sleep interview, overnight polysomnography, and Multiple Sleep Latency Tests., Patients: Forty-five age- and sex-matched patients with probable progressive supranuclear palsy, (n=15, aged 68 +/- 8 years, 7 men), patients with Parkinson disease (n=15), and control subjects (n=15)., Settings: Tertiary-care academic hospital., Intervention: N/A., Results: Compared to the 2 other groups, patients with progressive supranuclear palsy had a longer duration of wakefulness after sleep onset and twice as much sleep fragmentation and percentage of stage 1 sleep but had similar apnea-hypopnea indexes, periodic leg movements indexes, and mean daytime sleep latencies. REM sleep percentage was as low in patients with progressive supranuclear palsy (8% +/- 6% of total sleep time) as in patients with Parkinson disease (10% +/- 4%), versus 20% +/- 6% in controls (analysis of variance, P < .0001). Interestingly, patients with progressive supranuclear palsy had percentages of REM sleep without atonia (chin muscle activity: 33% +/- 36% of REM sleep) similar to those of patients with Parkinson disease (28% +/- 35%) and dramatically higher than those of controls (0.5% +/- 1%, analysis of variance, P = .008). Four (27%) patients with progressive supranuclear palsy had more than 50% REM sleep without atonia (as did a similar number of patients with Parkinson disease), and 2 of them (13%, vs 20% of patients with Parkinson disease) had clinical RBD. The four patients with progressive supranuclear palsy with excessive daytime sleepiness slept longer at night than the 11 patients with progressive supranuclear palsy who were alert (442 +/- 14 minutes vs 312 +/- 74 minutes, student t tests, P = .004), suggesting a primary nonnarcoleptic hypersomnia., Conclusion: REM sleep without atonia and RBD were as frequent in patients with progressive supranuclear palsy as in patients with Parkinson disease. It suggests that the downstream cause of parkinsonism, rather than its primary neuropathology (synucleinopathy vs tauopathy), is a key factor for REM sleep behavior disorder.

Introduction: Benign childhood paroxysmal eye deviation (BCPED) is classified as a 'non-epileptic paroxysmal disorder'., Case Reports: We report the cases of four patients aged between 6 months and 2 years, who suffered brief episodes of upward conjugate gaze deviation, with no clonic movements or associated cognitive deterioration. These episodes, which lasted several seconds, appeared in short repeated bouts that became worse with fatigue. Results of the neurological exploration, laboratory examinations, neuroimaging (CAT, MRI, brain ultrasonography) and a neurophysiological study, which included EEG-video monitoring and EEG performed during the waking state, were all normal. A nocturnal polysomnographic study was later conducted for 7-8 hours and EEG, EMG and EOG readings were recorded. The trace showed focal or generalised paroxysmal discharges during non-REM sleep in the form of polyspike-wave and spike-wave complexes. Sleep analysis (Reschstaffen and Kales) showed only a shortened REM sleep latency, with no clear clinical meaning. Several cases have been reported in the literature with identical symptoms and normal results in the diagnostic tests, including daytime polysomnography., Conclusions: The appearance of these epileptic anomalies in the nocturnal study makes it necessary to perform a complete nocturnal polysomnography. In spite of these findings, BCPED courses favourably and has a benign prognosis both with and without antiepileptic treatment. We therefore believe that BCPED should be classed within the group of 'benign idiopathic epilepsies of childhood'.

Objective: To investigate the potential causes of excessive daytime sleepiness in patients with PD-poor sleep quality, abnormal sleep-wakefulness control, and treatment with dopaminergic agents., Methods: The authors performed night-time polysomnography and daytime multiple sleep latency tests in 54 consecutive levodopa-treated patients with PD referred for sleepiness, 27 of whom were also receiving dopaminergic agonists., Results: Sleep latency was 6.3 +/- 0.6 minutes (normal >8 minutes), and the Epworth Sleepiness score was 14.3 +/- 4.1 (normal <10). A narcolepsy-like phenotype (> or = 2 sleep-onset REM periods) was found in 39% of the patients, who were sleepier (4.6 +/- 0.9 minutes) than the other 61% of patients (7.4 +/- 0.7 minutes). Periodic leg movement syndromes were rare (15%, range 16 to 43/h), but obstructive sleep apnea-hypopnea syndromes were frequent (20% of patients had an apnea-hypopnea index >15/h; range 15.1 to 50.0). Severity of sleepiness was weakly correlated with Epworth Sleepiness score (r = -0.34) and daily dose of levodopa (r = 0.30) but not with dopamine-agonist treatment, age, disease duration, parkinsonian motor disability, total sleep time, periodic leg movement, apnea-hypopnea, or arousal indices., Conclusions: In patients with PD preselected for sleepiness, severity of sleepiness was not dependent on nocturnal sleep abnormalities, motor and cognitive impairment, or antiparkinsonian treatment. The results suggest that sleepiness-sudden onset of sleep-does not result from pharmacotherapy but is related to the pathology of PD.