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Measurement of daytime sleepiness in the elderly

Messung der Tagesschläfrigkeit im Alter

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Abstract

Daytime sleepiness is highly prevalent in the elderly and has a negative impact on perceived health, quality of life, functional status, risk of falling, and even mortality. In the aging Western society, there is an increasing need to recognize and assess daytime sleepiness in elderly people. However, the evaluation of daytime sleepiness in this population faces several challenges, e.g., decreased perception of sleepiness in the elderly, increased comorbidity and cognitive decline that may complicate assessment, and a lack of normative data for assessment tools in the elderly and of elderly-specific assessment tools for sleepiness. More research is needed in the neglected field of excessive daytime sleepiness in the elderly. In particular, prospective studies are warranted to explore the relationship between daytime sleepiness and various functional endpoints.

Zusammenfassung

Tagesschläfrigkeit findet sich sehr häufig bei älteren Personen und hat negative Auswirkungen auf das Gesundheitsempfinden, die Lebensqualität, den funktionellen Status, das Risiko für Stürze und sogar für die Mortalität. In der immer älter werdenden westlichen Gesellschaft besteht daher ein zunehmender Bedarf, Tagesschläfrigkeit bei älteren Personen zu erkennen und zu messen. Bei der Evaluation der Tagesschläfrigkeit in dieser Personengruppe bestehen jedoch besondere Herausforderungen wie eine verminderte Wahrnehmung der Schläfrigkeit, eine erhöhte Komorbidität und unter Umständen kognitive Beeinträchtigungen, die die Erfassung erschweren können, sowie das Fehlen von normativen Daten und von spezifischen Erhebungsinstrumenten für diese Population. Es besteht deutlicher Forschungsbedarf in diesem Bereich. Insbesondere werden prospektive Studien benötigt, die die Beziehung zwischen Tagesschläfrigkeit und verschiedenen funktionalen Endpunkten untersuchen.

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The corresponding author states that there are no conflicts of interest.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Max Planck Institute of Psychiatry, Munich, Germany

    S. Fulda

  2. Sleep Disorders Center, Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University Medical Center Regensburg, Universitaetsstr. 84, 93053, Regensburg, Germany

    R. Popp PhD, Dipl.-Psych.

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  1. S. Fulda
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  2. R. Popp PhD, Dipl.-Psych.
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Correspondence to R. Popp PhD, Dipl.-Psych..

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Fulda, S., Popp, R. Measurement of daytime sleepiness in the elderly. Somnologie 15, 154–159 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11818-011-0520-2

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11818-011-0520-2

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