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Variations in microstructures of REM sleep

Gender-specific differences and age-related variation

Mikrostrukturen des REM-Schlafs

Geschlechtsunterschiede und Variationen mit dem Alter

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Abstract

Objective

The purpose of the present study was to analyse gender- and age-specific variations in microstructures of rapid eye movement (REM) sleep and to provide reference values for microstructures.

Methods

The results are based on Somnolyzer 24 × 7 (The Siesta Group Schlafanalyse GmbH., Vienna, Austria) evaluation of data from the SIESTA database. Data from 160 healthy subjects (74 men and 86 women; age range 20–95 years) were considered and a total of 11 REM sleep-related variables analysed.

Results

Some of the variables, i.e., REM and slow eye movement (SEM) density, SEM intensity and the REM sleep arousal index, are fairly constant across ages and do not differ between men and women. The atonia index shows gender-specific differences, but does not vary with age among healthy subjects; whereas REM intensity and the time in tonic REM sleep decrease with age, without differences between men and women. Time in stage R sleep (minutes and percentage of total sleep time, TST) and the time in phasic stage R sleep vary with both age and gender.

Conclusion

Given the relevance of sleep microstructures in research and potentially also in clinical studies, there is a need for reference values indicating the range of variation of these variables in healthy subjects. Reference values always have the limitation that they refer to the specific method of assessment. Where different detection algorithms are used, the reference values might vary. The reference values presented here—where necessary for men and women separately and/or stratified by age—refer to microstructures assessed by the feature extraction module of the Somnolyzer 24 × 7.

Zusammenfassung

Fragestellung

Ziel der vorliegenden Studie war es, Variationen in REM-Mikrostrukturen in Abhängigkeit von Alter und Geschlecht zu untersuchen und Referenzwerte für Mikrostrukturen anzugeben.

Methoden

Die Ergebnisse basieren auf der Somnolyzer 24 × 7 Auswertung der Daten aus der Siesta-Datenbank von 160 gesunden Personen (74 Männer und 86 Frauen) im Alter von 20 bis 95 Jahren. Insgesamt wurden 11 REM-Schlaf-bezogene Variablen ausgewertet.

Ergebnisse

Einige der untersuchten Variablen (REM- und SEM-Dichte, SEM-Intensität sowie der Arousal-Index im REM-Schlaf) variieren weder nennenswert mit dem Alter noch unterscheiden sie sich zwischen Männern und Frauen. Der Atonie-Index lässt Geschlechtsunterschiede erkennen, variiert aber nicht mit dem Alter bei gesunden Personen. Die REM-Intensität sowie die Zeit im tonischen REM-Schlaf nehmen mit dem Alter ab, zeigen jedoch keine Geschlechtsunterschiede. Die im REM-Schlaf verbrachte Zeit (min und % TST) sowie die Zeit im phasischen REM-Schlaf variieren sowohl mit dem Alter als auch zwischen Männern und Frauen.

Schlussfolgerung

Aus der Relevanz von Mikrostrukturen des REM-Schlafs in Forschungszusammenhängen sowie möglicherweise in klinischen Studien lässt sich ein Bedarf an Referenzwerten für gesunde Personen ableiten. Referenzwerte haben stets als Limitation, dass sie nur für eine spezifische Methode gelten. Wenn unterschiedliche Algorithmen zur Detektion verwendet werden, können Referenzwerte variieren. Die hier präsentierten Referenzwerte – wenn nötig getrennt für Männer und Frauen sowie stratifiziert nach dem Alter – gelten für Mikrostrukturen, die mit dem „Feature Extraction Module“ des Somnolyzer 24 × 7 ausgewertet wurden.

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Compliance with ethical guidelines

Conflict of interest. Until May 2013, H. Danker-Hopfe was shareholder and chairmen of the supervisory board of the Siesta Group Schlafanalyse GmbH. G. Dorffner is a part-time employee of the Siesta Group Schlafanalyse GmbH., and was managing director from 2002 until early 2014. Since November 2002, G. Gruber has been an employee of the Siesta Group Schlafanalyse GmbH. P. Anderer is a freelancer at the Siesta Group Schlafanalyse GmbH., and a part-time employee of the Philips Austria GmbH. E. Olbert states that there are no conflicts of interest.

All studies on humans described in the present manuscript were carried out with the approval of the responsible ethics committee and in accordance with national law and the Helsinki Declaration of 1975 (in its current, revised form). Informed consent was obtained from all patients included in studies.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Competence Center of Sleep Medicine, Charité—University Medicine Berlin, Hindenburgdamm 30, 12200, Berlin, Germany

    H. Danker-Hopfe PhD

  2. The Siesta Group Schlafanalyse GmbH, Vienna, Austria

    G. Gruber, G. Dorffner & P. Anderer

  3. Section for Artificial Intelligence, Center for Medical Statistics, Informatics and Intelligent Systems, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria

    E. Olbert & G. Dorffner

  4. Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria

    P. Anderer

  5. Sleep and Respiratory Care, Home Healthcare Solutions, Philips Austria GmbH., Vienna, Austria

    P. Anderer

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  1. H. Danker-Hopfe PhD
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to H. Danker-Hopfe PhD.

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Danker-Hopfe, H., Gruber, G., Olbert, E. et al. Variations in microstructures of REM sleep. Somnologie 19, 12–21 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11818-015-0700-6

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