CORE--SLEEP AND CIRCADIAN RHYTHMS

睡眠和昼夜节律研究实验室是一个新的组成部分 宾夕法尼亚大学-费城老年中心CRC 已经被开发来解决该领域中一些引人注目的问题 对老年人口的影响。这一发展的时机 是非常合适的，因为 睡眠与呼吸神经生物学中心(CSRN)的成立 宾夕法尼亚大学。实验室的长期目标 包括对昼夜节律之间相互作用的研究 以及慢性疾病和抑郁症。最初的焦点 涉及两个特定的研究方案，这些方案与已建立的 本实验室的协查人员的计划。此外，Pilot 将开始努力发展生理和行为能力 适用于长期学习的评估技术 儿童基金会养老院工地上的年老体弱的居民。 项目一是最近资助的一项拨款审查的延伸 与日间过度嗜睡(EDS)相关的多因素问题 在老年研究对象中。本项目的目标是患有抑郁症的老年人。 根据有无EDS细分的受试者 通过基于问卷的访谈确定。详细的评估将 包括完整的夜间多导睡眠图(PSG)和日间测量 嗜睡和表现基于行为测量， 性能警戒任务(PVT)测试和多个睡眠延迟 测试(MSLT)。这个项目检验了EDS与 抑郁症是一个重要的共病问题。理解 老年抑郁症患者中与EDS相关的变量可能有助于 确定合理的策略来治疗正在挣扎的患者 这一综合负担。 项目二将解决停止慢性药物治疗的影响 苯二氮类药物治疗对多导睡眠图睡眠连续性和睡眠质量的影响 睡眠结构与白天的认知、表现和行为 在老年受试者中的措施。患者将在基线上、在 一种稳定的苯二氮类药物治疗方案，在急性停药后 停药3个月后再次停药。这 研究将解决这样的假设，即停止长期的 在一些患者中，苯二氮卓类药物治疗与显著的 睡眠的连续性被打乱。将探索替代战略，以 改善这些患者的睡眠质量。

The Laboratory for Sleep and Circadian Rhythms Research is a new Component of the University of Pennsylvania -Philadelphia Geriatric Center CRC that has been developed to address some of the compelling issues in this field which impact on the geriatric population. The timing of this development is highly appropriate in light of the striking developments in the formation of the Center for Sleep and Respiratory Neurobiology (CSRN) at the University of Pennsylvania. The long term goals of the laboratory include studies of the reciprocal interactions between circadian rhythms and both chronic medical illness and depression. The initial focus involves two specific research protocols which relate to established programs of the co-investigators in this Laboratory. Additionally, pilot efforts will be initiated to develop physiological and behavioral assessment techniques that are applicable for studying the chronically ill, frail elderly residents of the nursing home sites of the CRC. Project one represents an extension of a recently funded grant examining multifactorial issues associated with excessive daytime sleepiness (EDS) in elderly subjects. The present project targets depressed elderly subjects who are subdivided on the presence or absence of EDS as determined by questionnaire based interviews. Detailed assessments will include full overnight polysomnography (PSG) and daytime measures of sleepiness and performance on the basis of behavioral measures, performance vigilance task (PVT) testing and multiple sleep latency testing (MSLT). This project examines the hypothesis that EDS associated with depression represents an important comorbidity issue. Understanding the variables related to EDS in elderly depressed subjects may help to identify logical strategies for treating patients who are struggling with this combined burden. Project two will address the effects of discontinuation of chronic benzodiazepine therapy on PSG monitored dimensions of sleep continuity and sleep architecture and on daytime cognitive, performance and behavioral measures in elderly subjects. Patients will be evaluated at baseline, on a stable regimen of benzodiazepine therapy, after acute discontinuation of the benzodiazepine and again 3 months after drug discontinuation. This study will address the hypothesis that discontinuation of long-term benzodiazepine therapy is associated, in some patients, with prominent disruption of sleep continuity. Alternative strategies will be explored to improve the quality of sleep in these patients.