Nighttime Behavior Research Articles

Behavioral Differences between White Matter Lacunar Dementia and Alzheimer’s Disease: A Comparison on the Neuropsychiatric Inventory

Background and Purpose: Behavioral abnormalities account for much of the morbidity of vascular dementia (VaD) and Alzheimer’s disease (AD). The goals of the study were to compare the behavioral changes in patients with VaD associated with ischemic white matter subcortical changes and lacunar infarctions (VaD-WSI) to those in patients with AD. Methods: Thirty outpatients with VaD and multiple lacunar infarctions in the periventricular white matter and 30 AD patients, matched for age and severity of dementia, were enrolled in this prospective study. The behavioral abnormalities of these patients were assessed by interviewing their caregivers with the Neuropsychiatric Inventory. Results: A similar spectrum of noncognitive behavioral changes was found in AD and WSI patients. In VaD-WSI, the severity of delusions, hallucinations, aggression, irritability, aberrant motor behavior, nighttime behavior and appetite changes was correlated with cognitive decline, whereas depression, apathy, anxiety and euphoria were unrelated to the severity of dementia. In AD, none of the behavioral changes correlated with the severity of dementia. Conclusion: Behavioral changes are frequent in VaD-WSI and are present regardless of the severity of the cognitive decline. It is therefore important to assess behavioral as well as cognitive changes at early stages of the illness, to ensure appropriate treatment.

A climatology of middle and upper atmosphere radar observations of thermospheric winds

Shigaraki middle and upper atmosphere (MU) radar observations of horizontal thermospheric winds in the magnetic meridian plane over the period September 1986 to September 1996 are reported as climatological averages in the form of time‐of‐day variations for several combinations of seasonal and solar activity conditions and are compared with winds predicted by the horizontal wind model (HWM) and with winds measured at Saint Santin and Millstone Hill. The dominant feature of the MU wind behavior is its mean diurnal variation of northward flow by day and southward flow by night, with the nighttime wind smoothly approaching and receding from a midnight maximum, while the daytime wind tends to show two peaks, a strong one in the early daylight hours and a weak one in the afternoon‐evening. HWM shows the same unimodal nighttime and bimodal daytime behavior, but the HWM pattern is shifted about 2 hours later in time. The amplitude of the diurnal harmonic decreases from 78 m/s at solar minimum to 45 m/s at solar maximum, while HWM shows a corresponding increase from 53 to 62 m/s. The diurnal amplitude is remarkably stable with season but is superposed on a steady wind of 41 m/s southward in summer, 15 m/s northward in winter, and midway between these limits at the equinoxes. HWM shows a symmetric pattern of 30 m/s southward in summer and 30 m/s northward in winter. Ion drag appears to be the main regulator of wind speed, and the seasonal wind patterns have a profound effect on the seasonal behavior of the ionosphere.

The Korean version of the neuropsychiatric inventory: a scoring tool for neuropsychiatric disturbance in dementia patients.

The Neuropsychiatric Inventory (NPI) is a standardized, validated, and reliable tool to assess neuropsychiatric derangements in dementia patients. The aim of this study is to develop the Korean version of the NPI (K-NPI) and to test its reliability and usefulness in dementia patients. The subjects were 49 normal controls and 92 patients with Alzheimer's disease (43), vascular dementia (32), frontotemporal lobar degeneration (11), and other causes (6). Their caregivers familiar with the subjects' everyday behavior were interviewed with the K-NPI. In a subgroup (29/141) of the caregivers, the K-NPI was repeated for test-retest reliability, average of 23.1 days after the initial test. Prevalence rates of 12 behavioral domains in dementia patients were comparable to those of the original NPI; apathy was the most common and hallucination was the least common behavior. Total K-NPI scores correlated positively with dementia severity assessed with the Korean Mini-Mental State Examination. Test-retest reliabilities of frequencies and severities of all subscales were significantly high. Depression, anxiety, apathy, irritability, night-time behavior, and eating change were identified at very low rates in normal controls and were significantly less than those in dementia patients (p<0.001). The K-NPI, whose reliability and competency are comparable to those of the original version, may be a reliable and useful tool for measuring neuropsychiatric disturbances in Korean dementia patients.

A questionnaire survey of sleep and night-time behaviour in a community-based sample of adults with intellectual disability.

Two hundred and five people with intellectual disability, aged 18 years or over, and living in health- or social-services-managed community housing, completed sleep and behaviour questionnaires. An 85.7% return rate was achieved. Settling problems were present in 26.8% and night waking in 55.6% of the subjects. Parasomnias were present in 14% of subjects and 15% of the sample showed some features associated with sleep-related breathing problems. Factors associated with sleep-related problems included gender, aetiology of intellectual disability, epilepsy, treatment with antiepileptic medication, evening caffeine consumption, nocturnal urinary incontinence and ability to communicate. Significant sleep-related problems were demonstrated in this population; some of these problems might be avoided by simple measures.

Who's controlling whom?: Infant habituation rate and toddler temperament uniquely contribute to maternal play behavior

Children's nighttime fears are a normal part of child development and are transient for most children, but result in considerable distress for others. The present study evaluated a 4-week bibliotherapy intervention designed to treat young children with persistent and interfering nighttime fears utilizing a multiple baseline design.Nine children between 5 and 7 years of age with specific phobia diagnoses were randomized into one of three baseline control conditions (1, 2, or 3 weeks). The treatment protocol involved parents reading Uncle Lightfoot, Flip that Switch: Overcoming Fear of the Dark, Academic Version (Coffman, 2012) with their children over 4 weeks while engaging in activities prescribed in the book. Assessments took place at baseline, post treatment, and 1 month following treatment. Daily and weekly tracking of nighttime behaviors was also obtained.Pre-post group analyses revealed that eight of the nine children demonstrated clinically significant change in anxiety severity. In addition, decreases in child-reported nighttime fears were observed, as were parent-reported decreases in separation anxiety and increases in the number of nights children slept in their own bed.The present study provides initial support for the use of bibliotherapy in the treatment of nighttime fears. Further replication and evaluation are needed to determine appropriate length of treatment and long-term effects. Implications of the findings are discussed.

The Neuropsychiatric Inventory: assessing psychopathology in dementia patients.

The Neuropsychiatric Inventory (NPI) was developed to assess psychopathology in dementia patients. It evaluates 12 neuropsychiatric disturbances common in dementia: delusions, hallucinations, agitation, dysphoria, anxiety, apathy, irritability, euphoria, disinhibition, aberrant motor behavior, night-time behavior disturbances, and appetite and eating abnormalities. The severity and frequency of each neuropsychiatric symptom are rated on the basis of scripted questions administered to the patient's caregiver. The NPI also assesses the amount of caregiver distress engendered by each of the neuropsychiatric disorders. A total NPI score and a total caregiver distress score are calculated, in addition to the scores for the individual symptom domains. Content validity, concurrent validity, inter-rater reliability, and test-retest reliability of the NPI are established. Different neurologic disorders have characteristic neuropsychiatric manifestations and distinctive NPI profiles. The NPI is sensitive to treatment effects and has demonstrated the amelioration of behavioral symptoms in Alzheimer's disease by cholinergic agents. The NPI is a useful instrument for characterizing the psychopathology of dementia syndromes, investigating the neurobiology of brain disorders with neuropsychiatric manifestations, distinguishing among different dementia syndromes, and assessing the efficacy of treatment.

Treatment of Sleep Disorders in Children with Developmental Disabilities

Sleep disorders in children with developmental disabilities are a common and frequently disruptive behavioral concern. In the present study, four children with developmental disabilities (two of the children exhibited frequent night wakings and two had bedtime disturbances) were treated using a multiple baseline across subjects design. Sleep diaries were used to monitor changes in each child's sleep throughout treatment. Establishment of a consistent bedtime routine combined with a graduated extinction procedure for nighttime behavior problems resulted in a decrease in night wakings for two children (a 7-year-old girl and an 11-year-old boy) and a decrease in bedtime disturbances for two children (a 2-year-old girl and a 12-year-old boy). This series of interventions highlights the heterogeneity of maintaining variables in sleep disorders and the effectiveness of relatively simple behavioral interventions for the treatment of night wakings and bedtime disturbances in children with autism and other developmental disabilities.

Behavioral characterization of sleep in stumptail macaques (Macaca arctoides) in exterior captivity by means of high‐sensitivity videorecording

There are reasons to consider incomplete the description of sleep in many non-human primate species. Recording animals by highly sensitive videos to obtain detailed descriptions of nighttime behavior and evidence of muscle activity while in a resting posture, seems a promising approach to the non-invasive study of sleep in non-human primates. The present work describes the use of ultrasensitive videocameras to record and analyze spontaneous nighttime behaviors in captive non-human primates. Its main purpose is to emphasize the utility of videorecordings to analyze nighttime behavior. A heterosexual group of nine stumptail macaques (M. arctoides) was studied. It was possible to identify resting postures: immobility or lying on the floor as well as sleep movements and behavioral signs of sleep. This procedure permits recognition of each animal individually and the data suggest that videorecordings, among other techniques available, may be a useful, non-invasive method to study sleep. © 1995 Wiley-Liss, Inc.

集魚灯利用旋網の漁獲過程と魚類の行動に関する研究

集魚灯利用旋網の漁獲過程と魚類の行動に関する研究

Infant temperament: Is there a relation to sleep-wake states and maternal nighttime behavior?

The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between infant temperament and infant sleep-wake state characteristics, maternal nighttime behavior, and psychological characteristics. The nighttime sleep and maternal nighttime interventions of 21 fullterm infants were videotaped at home at 3 weeks and 3 months of age. Mothers completed measures of psychological distress, self-efficacy, parenting stress, and infant temperament. Infant temperament was also measured behaviorally at 3 months. Infant sleep-wake state indices were more closely related to behaviorally assessed temperament than to maternal ratings of infant temperament. Maternal nighttime interventions were generally unrelated to infant temperament. The percent of infant nighttime awake at 3 weeks, maternal self-efficacy, and parenting hassles differentially predicted maternal ratings of fussy/difficult and unpredictable infant temperament. Sleep-wake state characteristics appeared to be related to infant temperament reflecting similar aspects of infant biological organization as well as behavior that influences maternal perceptions of their infants.

Sleep-wake cycles and other night-time behaviours of the domestic dog Canis familiaris

Sleep-wake cycles and other night-time behaviours were observed in 24 domestic dogs ( Canis familiaris) living in various urban habitats. Recordings of 18 of these animals were made with a video camera under red light. On average, these dogs had 23 sleep-wake episodes during 8 h. The sleep-wake cycles consisted of an average of 16 min asleep and 5 min awake. All dogs were seen in quiet sleep and most dogs were also seen in active sleep. Usually active sleep was followed immediately by spontaneous arousal. As reported in humans and cats, active sleep was suppressed for a night in a dog placed in a new habitat, then it occurred the following 2 nights. On 31 occasions when two or more dogs were sleeping together, they had non-synchronous sleep-wake cycles, with waking only synchronising in response to a strong stimulus. Barking occurred in 13 of the 18 video-recorded dogs and six of these barked more than five times in 8 h. Nine of the 14 dog owners unwittingly disrupted the sleep of their dogs. The pattern of sleeping and waking in dogs was quite different from that known to occur in humans. These different sleep patterns sometimes led to dogs being a nuisance to people in the neighbourhood, but were welcomed by owners who kept their dog for protection as well as companionship.

Taxonomy of evening and nighttime behavior patterns of persons with Alzheimer's disease

Among the many symptoms associated with Alzheimer's disease, disrupted nighttime sleep has been identified as one of the most troublesome. Frequently disrupted sleep, as well as nighttime wandering, determines whether or not the person is able to remain within his/her home or must be institutionalized. The first step toward altering disrupted sleep is to gain an understanding of the associated behavior patterns. The purposes of this research were to: • Describe - based on family care provider reports, the evening and nighttime behavior patterns of persons diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease; and • Develop a taxonomy that characterized the identified patterns. Data were collected using a guided interview format. Eleven care providers were interviewed at length and asked to respond to open-ended questions. Themes and categories were identified including two major, four minor and 10 sub-categories. In addition, precipitating events that triggered, intensified or accelerated the behavior patterns were identified. These data will be used to develop an instrument designed to quantify the behaviors associated with sleep disruption. This will allow for evaluation of care provider burden as well as the effect of interventions designed to enhance the sleep/rest of persons with Alzheimer's disease.

Health problems and service use by parents of normal infants in the first 6 months of life.

A retrospective descriptive study was carried out on residents of the northern Sydney health area who delivered normal, full term, singleton infants at three large maternity units. A sample population of 1199 was sent a postal questionnaire when their infants reached the age of 6 months, and a 65% response rate was obtained. Problems encountered, with ratings of severity and difficulty of management, were reported in five categories: acute and persistent or recurrent illness, daytime and night-time behaviour problems and feeding problems. Forty-seven per cent of parents reported at least one problem which they rated severe or very difficult to manage, and 19.7% reported two or more, particularly in the areas of behaviour and feeding difficulties. Traditional services such as those provided by general practitioners and specialists were not often helpful for these problems, while baby health services and specialized support services were more helpful. However, a significant number of respondents found no service helpful, representing an area of unmet need.

The ionospheric response to perturbation electric fields during the onset phase of geomagnetic storms

The generation and propagation of ionospheric storms are studied by analyzing EISCAT radar, and vertical-sounding and total-electron-content data obtained under different geophysical conditions. Both, case studies as well as the average storm pattern of percentage deviations of different ionospheric parameters from their corresponding reference values such as total electron content, F2-layer critical frequency foF2, F2-layer height hmF2, and slab thickness τ indicate the action of a perturbation electric field during the first few hours during the onset phase of geomagnetic storms. Considering the onset phase of the storm on July 28–29, 1987 evidence has been found that high-latitude electric fields may penetrate to lower latitudes before the ring current has developed. In most cases this process is accompanied by a positive phase in the upper ionosphere and F2-layer ionization. Different mechanisms are assumed to be responsible for the daytime and nighttime behaviour, respectively. The negative phase propagates equatorward with velocities in the order of 70–350 m s−1 following a strong heating of the thermosphere and ionosphere due to the auroral electrojet.

Night-time enhancements of the F2-layer ionization over Havana, Cuba

Night-time enhancements (NE) of the F2-layer ionization observed by the Faraday rotation and vertical sounding techniques are studied by statistical methods for low and high solar activity conditions at the low latitude station Havana. The enhancements in ionospheric electron content ( N F ) and critical frequency ( ƒoF2) indicate a strong seasonal variation which is controlled by solar activity effects. Thus the occurrence rate is a maximum during wintertime for low solar activity conditions, whereas it is a maximum in summer during high solar activity periods. Other parameters, such as the duration or intensity of the night-time enhancements, are sensitive to solar activity in a similar way. It is suggested that downward plasma transport from the plasmasphere is the main process which causes the enhancements in ionospheric ionization during the night-time. Thus both NE's and the so-called night-time winter anomaly (NWA) effect are generated by the same mechanism in this region. This conclusion is confirmed by theoretical modelling of the night-time ionospheric behaviour which is sensitive to the interplay of electric fields and neutral winds.

Behavioral treatment of sleep dysfunction in patients with the rett syndrome

Aberrant sleep patterns are commonly experienced by girls with the Rett syndrome. In this investigation, the problematic sleep of three girls with the Rett syndrome was regulated using a bedtime fading procedure with response cost. The treatment involved systematically delaying the bedtime and utilized a response cost component, removing the child from bed for one hour, when the child did not experience short latency to sleep onset. Daytime sleep was interrupted, except during regularly scheduled naps. A fading procedure was then successfully utilized to advance the bedtimes. This treatment resulted in more regular sleep patterns for the girls by increasing appropriate nighttime sleep, reducing inappropriate daytime sleep and reducing problematic nighttime behaviors (e.g., night wakings). These preliminary findings are important because they suggest that the dysfunctional sleep patterns of girls with the Rett syndrome may be amenable to behavioral treatments.

The relationship between recumbent rest and masturbation in stallions

The night time behavior (1900-0700) of 12 stallions was observed using videorecording. All of the stallions masturbated sometime during the night for an average of 3.3 bouts lasting 3.0 + 0.4 min. Ten of the 12 stallions lay down during the night for bouts lasting 14.5 + 2.1 min. Both lying and masturbation occurred most frequently in the early morning hours. Forty percent of the bouts of lying were followed within 5 min by bouts of masturbation indicating that there may be association between REM sleep, which occurs only during recumbent rest in horses, and masturbation. These results suggest that nocturnal bouts of masturbation may be used to distinguish psychogenic from physical causes of impotence in horses.

Night-time seeing and atmospheric behaviour in the Canary Islands Observatories

The Canarian Observatories have become two of the most studies ones and are a privilleged place for astronomical observations. Since the sixties when, for the first time, Prof. Sanchez installed equipments to test the atmosphere at Observatorio del Teide (O.T., Tenerife), the campaigns carried out not only at Izana but also at Roque de los Muchachos Observatory (O.R.M., La Palma), have been numerous.

Long-Term Development of Children Monitored as Infants for an Apparent Life-Threatening Event During Sleep: A 10-Year Follow-up Study

The outcomes of 26 children who had an apparent life-threatening event during sleep and who were monitored at home were evaluated. In a preliminary study that was first reported when the children had a mean age of 2.7 years, only minor behavioral difficulties were seen. The children of this earlier study were characterized by more aggressive behavior, which was tentatively related to parental anxiety. The same children were retested at a mean age of 7 years (range 6 to 10 years), together with sex-, age-, and social class-matched control children. No significant differences were found in their clinical daytime and nighttime behavior or in IQ tests, although in some of the psychodevelopmental tests minor signs of anxiety were revealed. In conclusion, infants with an apparent life-threatening event who underwent continued cardiopulmonary home monitoring develop normally during preadolescence. A prolonged follow-up of the children during adolescence is needed to evaluate later school performance.

The Management of Children's Nighttime Behaviour Problems: Evaluation of an Advice Booklet

An advice booklet was developed and evaluated over three studies of diminishing clinical contact. Study 1 (n = 5) utilized full support through clinic sessions and telephone contact. During study 2 (n = 5) therapists maintained reduced contact with families, while minimal therapist support or contact was employed in study 3 (n = 10). A multliple baseline design across families was used to evaluate studies 1 and 2. Additionally all phases were evaluated using a consumer satisfaction measure. Overall the results suggest that the booklet was moderately successful in reducing nighttime behaviour problems. While parents could use the booklet on a self administered basis, some families may require additional clinical support to succeed with effective management of their child's nighttime behaviour problems. The research findings point to the need for specific advice packages for use by parents in the management of simple problems evinced by their children.