This Article Full Text (PDF) References Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Citation Map Services Email this article to a friend Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Add to Saved Citations Download to citation manager Request Permissions Request Reprints Add to My Marked Citations Citing Articles Citing Articles via HighWire Citing Articles via Google Scholar Citing Articles via Scopus Google Scholar Articles by Monk, T. H. Articles by Houck, P. R. Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Monk, T. H. Articles by Houck, P. R. Social Bookmarking                         What's this?

Subjective Alertness Rhythms in Elderly People

Sleep and Chronobiology Center, University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, 3811 O'Hara Street, Pittsburgh, PA 15213

Daniel J. Buysse

Sleep and Chronobiology Center, University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, 3811 O'Hara Street, Pittsburgh, PA 15213

Charles F. Reynolds

Sleep and Chronobiology Center, University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, 3811 O'Hara Street, Pittsburgh, PA 15213

David J. Kupfer

Sleep and Chronobiology Center, University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, 3811 O'Hara Street, Pittsburgh, PA 15213

Patricia R. Houck

Sleep and Chronobiology Center, University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, 3811 O'Hara Street, Pittsburgh, PA 15213

The aim of this study was to evaluate age-related changes in the circadian rhythm of subjective alertness and to explore the circadian mechanisms underlying such changes. Using a visual analogue scale (VAS) instrument, 25 older men and women (71 y and older; 15 female, 10 male) rated their subjective alertness about 7 times per day during 5 baseline days of temporal isolation during which habitual bedtimes and waketimes were enforced. Comparisons were made with 13 middle-aged men (37-52 y) experiencing the same protocol. Advancing age (particularly in the men) resulted in less rhythmic alertness patterns, as indicated by lower amplitudes and less reliability of fitted 24-h sinusoids. This appeared in spite of the absence of any reliable age-related diminution in circadian temperature rhythm amplitude, thus suggesting the effect was not due to SCN weakness per se, but to weakened transduction of SCN output. In a further experiment, involving 36 h of constant wakeful bedrest, differences in the amplitude of the alertness rhythm were observed between 9 older men (79 y+), 7 older women (79 y+), and 17 young controls (9 males, 8 females, 19-28 y) suggesting that with advancing age (particularly in men) there is less rhythmic input into subjective alertness from the endogenous circadian pacemaker. These results may explain some of the nocturnal insomnia and daytime hypersomnia that afflict many elderly people.

Key Words: human • circadian rhythms • alertness • sleepiness • age • old

Journal of Biological Rhythms, Vol. 11, No. 3, 268-276 (1996)
DOI: 10.1177/074873049601100308


CiteULike    Complore    Connotea    Del.icio.us    Digg    Reddit    Technorati    Twitter    What's this?

This article has been cited by other articles:

				T. H. Monk, K. S. Kennedy, L. R. Rose, and J. M. Linenger Decreased Human Circadian Pacemaker Influence After 100 Days in Space: A Case Study Psychosom Med, November 1, 2001; 63(6): 881 - 885. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]