Abstract
Considering the marked changes in sleep and circadian rhythms across the lifespan, age may contribute to the heterogeneity in sleep-wake profiles linked to mood disorders. This study aimed to investigate the contributions of age and depression severity to sleep-wake disturbances. The Hamilton Depression Rating Scale (HDRS) was administered to assess current symptoms severity in 238 persons with a history of a mood disorder between 12 and 90 years of age (y.o.). Actigraphy was recorded over five to 22 days. Regression analyses and analyses of variance [age (12-19 y.o., 20-39 y.o., 40-59 y.o., and ≥ 60 y.o.) by depression severity (HDRS< and ≥ 8)] were conducted. The 12-19 y.o. and 20-39 y.o. groups had a delayed sleep schedule and acrophase compared to all other groups. The ≥ 60 y.o. group had a lower rhythmicity and amplitude (p ≤ .006) than the 12-19 y.o. group (p ≤ .046). Participants with a HDRS ≥ 8 spent longer time in bed, had later sleep offset times and had lower circadian rhythmicity than those with a HDRS<8 (p ≤ .036). Younger age and higher HDRS score correlated with later sleep onset and offset times, longer time in bed, higher WASO, lower sleep efficiency and later acrophase (p ≤ .023). Age was a significant predictor of delayed sleep and activity schedules (p ≤ .001). The profile of sleep-wake cycle disturbances associated with mood disorders changes with age, with prominent sleep phase delay during youth and reduced circadian strength in older persons. Conversely, disruptions in sleep consolidation seem more stable across age.
Publication types
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Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
MeSH terms
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Actigraphy / methods
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Adolescent
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Adult
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Aged
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Aged, 80 and over
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Aging / physiology
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Body Temperature / physiology
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Child
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Circadian Rhythm / physiology*
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Depressive Disorder / physiopathology
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Female
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Humans
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Male
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Middle Aged
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Mood Disorders / physiopathology*
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Physiological Phenomena / physiology
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Sleep / physiology*
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Sleep Wake Disorders / physiopathology
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Wakefulness / physiology*
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Young Adult
Grants and funding
This study was funded from a National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) Australia Fellowship awarded to IBH. RR received a postdoctoral training award from the Fonds de la recherche en santé du Québec. Associate SLN is supported by an NHMRC Career Development Award. DFH has received honoraria for educational seminars from Janssen-Cilag and Eli Lilly. EMS is the (unpaid) Clinical Director of Headspace Services at the BMRI, the (unpaid) Coordinator of the Youth Mental Health Research Program at the BMRI, and Deputy Director of St Vincent’s Private Hospital Young Adult Mental Health Unit. She has received honoraria for educational seminars related to the clinical management of depressive disorders supported by Servier and Eli Lilly pharmaceuticals. She has participated in a national advisory board for the antidepressant compound Pristiq, manufactured by Pfizer. IBH is supported by a National Health and Medical Research Council Australia Fellowship (No. 464914). He was a director of headspace: the national youth mental health foundation until January 2012. He is the executive director of the Brain and Mind Research Institute, which operates two early-intervention youth services under contract to headspace. He is a member of the new Australian National Mental Health commission and was previously the CEO of beyondblue: the national depression initiative. He has led a range of community-based and pharmaceutical industry-supported depression awareness and education and training programs. He has led depression and other mental health research projects that have been supported by a variety of pharmaceutical partners. Current investigator-initiated studies are supported by Servier and Pfizer. He has received honoraria for his contributions to professional educational seminars supported by the pharmaceutical industry (including Servier, Pfizer, AstraZeneca, and Eli Lilly. The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript.