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Polygraphic Recording Procedure for Measuring Sleep in Mice
Published on: January 25, 2016
Alcohol, slow wave sleep, and the somatotropic axis
1National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892-7003, USA. wlands@willco.niaaa.nih.gov
Alcohol (Fayetteville, N.Y.)
|August 24, 1999
Summary
Alcohol dependence alters sleep patterns, reducing slow wave sleep (SWS) and growth hormone (GH) release. Lower GH response may indicate an imbalance affecting relapse risk in alcoholism treatment.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Endocrinology
- Sleep Medicine
Background:
- Alcohol consumption significantly impacts energy homeostasis, leading to abnormal sleep and growth hormone (GH) release.
- Chronic alcohol use can result in physical dependency and altered neuroendocrine signaling, including somatostatin (SS) and somatropin releasing hormone (GHRH).
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the relationship between alcohol dependence, sleep abnormalities, and growth hormone (GH) release.
- To explore the potential role of somatostatin (SS) to somatropin releasing hormone (GHRH) balance in alcohol dependence and relapse.
Main Methods:
- Analysis of sleep patterns, specifically slow wave sleep (SWS) and rapid eye movement (REM) sleep episodes.
- Assessment of growth hormone (GH) release in response to challenges in alcohol-dependent patients compared to controls.
Main Results:
- Alcohol-dependent patients exhibit disrupted sleep architecture with reduced SWS and altered REM sleep timing.
- Lower GH release and SWS power were observed in alcohol-dependent individuals compared to normal subjects.
- Early relapse in alcoholism treatment correlated with a diminished GH response.
Conclusions:
- Alcohol dependence is associated with maladaptive changes in sleep and GH regulation, potentially linked to SS/GHRH imbalance.
- Further research is warranted to understand the molecular basis of these adaptations and their role in continued alcohol dependence.
- Enhancing SWS or GHRH action may offer potential therapeutic strategies for reducing alcohol dependency.
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