Unterschiede in der Verarbeitung schlafbezogener Stimuli zwischen Personen mit gesundem und gest÷rtem Schlaf [Differences in the processing of sleep-related stimuli between good and bad sleepers]

Previous work suggests that people with poor sleep quality, especially patients with primary insomnia, show an attentional preference for sleep-related stimuli (sleep-related attentional bias). Studies investigating this effect have generally used standardised reaction time experiments, in which the effects of a large number of sleep-related stimuli were averaged. Here, we analysed the data of two studies in order to investigate the contribution of single sleep-related stimuli (words) to sleep-related attentional bias. Results showed that effect sizes of the stimuli were relatively stable between the two studies. Knowing effect sizes of individual stimuli is important for the construction of future attentional paradigms, as well as providing a better understanding of the magnitude and content of sleep-related attentional bias. © 2009 Springer

Effects of Bacillus Calmette-Guerin (BCG) vaccination at birth on T and B lymphocyte subsets: Results from a clinical randomized trial

Contains fulltext : 177339.pdf (publisher's version ) (Open Access)The Bacillus Calmette-Guerin vaccine (BCG) has been associated with beneficial non-specific effects (NSEs) on infant health. Within a randomized trial on the effect of neonatal BCG on overall health, we investigated the possible immunological impact of neonatal BCG vaccination on lymphocyte subsets, determined by flow cytometry. In 118 infants blood samples were obtained 4 (+/-2) days post randomization to BCG vaccination or no intervention, and at 3 and 13 months of age. No effects of BCG were found at 4 days. However, BCG increased proportions of effector memory cells at 3 months (Geometric mean ratio (GMR) 1.62, 95% confidence interval (CI) (1.20-2.21), p = 0.002 for CD4+ T cells and GMR 1.69, 95% CI (1.06-2.70), p = 0.03 for CD8+ T cells), and reduced proportions of late differentiated CD4+ T cells (GMR = 0.62, 95% CI (0.38-1.00), p = 0.05) and apoptotic CD4+ T cells at 13 months (GMR = 0.55, 95% CI (0.32-0.92), p = 0.03). In conclusion, limited overall impact of neonatal BCG vaccination on lymphocyte subsets was found in healthy Danish infants within the first 13 months of life. This is in line with the limited clinical effects of BCG observed in our setting

Heart rate and heart rate variability in subjectively reported insomnia

According to epidemiological studies, insomnia is associated with cardiovascular mortality. However, it is yet to be determined whether this link is mediated by known cardiovascular risk factors. The current study aimed at investigating the association between primary insomnia, defined as subjectively reported sleep disturbance in the absence of any other pathology or substance intake, and alterations in polysomnographically determined nocturnal heart rate (HR) and heart rate variability (H RV). A total of 4 581 nocturnal short-term electrocardiographic recordings (5 min each) from 104 participants (58 with primary insomnia, 46 healthy controls) were evaluated for HR as well as for time and frequency domain measures of HRV. In the primary insomnia group, we found a lower wake-to-sleep HR reduction and a lower standard deviation of RR intervals (SDNN) compared to healthy controls. However, between-group differences in resting HR were not found, and previous results of an increase in sympathovagal balance and a decrease in parasympathetic nocturnal activity in objectively determined insomnia could not be confirmed in our sample of self-report insomnia patients. When restricting our analyses to insomnia patients with objectively determined short sleep duration, we found reduced parasympathetic activity as indicated by decreased high frequency power of HRV, as well as decreased root mean square of successive RRI differences (RMSSD) and percentage of successive RRIs that differ by more than 50 ms (pNN50) values. A lower wake-to-sleep HR reduction and alterations in HRV variables might, at least partially, mediate the increased rates of cardiovascular morbidity and mortality observed in insomnia patient

Structural and Electroanatomical Characterisation of the Equine Pulmonary Veins: Implications for Atrial Fibrillation

Introduction/objectives: Spontaneous pulmonary vein (PV) activity triggers atrial fibrillation (AF) in humans. Although AF frequently occurs in horses, the origin remains unknown. This study investigated the structural and electro-anatomical properties of equine PVs to determine the potential presence of an arrhythmogenic substrate. Animals, materials and methods: Endocardial three-dimensional electro-anatomical mapping (EnSite Precision) using high-density (HD) catheters was performed in 13 sedated horses in sinus rhythm. Left atrium (LA) access was obtained retrogradely through the carotid artery. Post-mortem, tissue was harvested from the LA, right atrium (RA), and PVs for histological characterization and quantification of ion channel expression using immunohistochemical analysis. Results: Geometry, activation maps, and voltage maps of the PVs were created and a median of four ostia were identified. Areas of reduced conduction were found at the veno-atrial junction. The mean myocardial sleeve length varied from 28 13 to 49 22 mm. The PV voltage was 1.2 1.4 mV and lower than the LA (3.4 0.9 mV, P < 0.001). The fibrosis percentage was higher in PV myocardium (26.1 6.6 %) than LA (14.5 5.0 %, P ¼ 0.003). L-type calcium channel (CaV1.2) expression was higher in PVs than LA (P ¼ 0.001). T-type calcium channels (CaV3.3), connexin-43, ryanodine receptor-2, and small conductance calcium-activated potassium channel-3 was expressed in PVs. Conclusions: The veno-atrial junction had lower voltages, increased structural heterogeneity and areas of slower conduction. Myocardial sleeves had variable lengths, and a different ion channel expression compared to the atria. Heterogeneous properties of the PVs interacting with the adjacent LA likely provide the milieu for re-entry and AF initiation.S.T. Kjeldsen, S.D. Nissen, A. Saljic, E.M. Hesselkilde, H. Carstensen, S.M. Sattler, T. Jespersen, D. Linz, C. Hopster-Iversen, R. Kutieleh, P. Sanders, R. Buh

Physiological testing of coronary artery stenosis by computation of invasive coronary angiography. The wire-free functional imaging (WIFI-II) study

Cardiovascular Aspects of Radiolog

Long-Term Training Increases Atrial Fibrillation Sustainability in Standardbred Racehorses

Atrial fibrillation (AF) is more prevalent in athletes, and currently, the mechanisms are not fully understood. Atrial fibrillation inducibility and stability was investigated in trained and untrained Standardbred racehorses. The horses underwent echocardiography for evaluation of atrial size. High-density mapping during AF was performed, and the presence of structural remodeling, as well as the expression of inflammatory and pro-inflammatory markers in the atria, was studied. Atrial fibrillation sustained significantly longer after tachypacing in the trained horses, whereas no difference in AF inducibility was found. The untrained horses displayed a significant difference in the AF complexity when comparing right and left atria, whereas such difference was not observed in the trained animals. No evidence of increased structural remodeling or inflammation could be identified. Left atrial dimensions were not significantly increased. The increased AF sustainability in trained horses was not related to fibrosis or inflammation as seen in other animal exercise models