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Differential changes and interactions of autonomic functioning and sleep architecture before and after 50 years of age

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Abstract

We hypothesize that the time when age-related changes in autonomic functioning and in sleep structure occur are different and that autonomic functioning modulates sleep architecture differently before and after 50 years of age. Sixty-eight healthy subjects (aged 20 to 79 years old, 49 of them women) were enrolled. Correlation analysis revealed that wake after sleep onset, the absolute and relative value of stage 1 (S1; S1%), and relative value of stage 2 (S2) were positively correlated with age; however, sleep efficiency, stage 3 (S3), S3%, and rapid-eye-movement latency (REML) were negatively correlated with age. Significant degenerations of sleep during normal aging were occurred after 50 years of age; however, significant declines of autonomic activity were showed before 50 years of age. Before 50 years of age, vagal function during sleep was negatively correlated with arousal index; however, after 50 years of age, it was positively correlated with S1 and S1%. In addition, sympathetic activity during wake stage was positively related to S2% only after 50 years of age. Our results imply that the age-related changes in autonomic functioning decline promptly as individuals leave the younger part of their adult life span and that age-related changes in sleep slowly develop as individuals enter the older part of their adult life span. Furthermore, while various aspects of sleep architecture are modulated by both the sympathetic and vagal nervous systems during adult life span, the sleep quality is mainly correlated with the sympathetic division after 50 years of age.

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Acknowledgments

We thank Tzu-Ching Chen, Jui-Wen Chu, Wan-Ching Wu, and Wan-Han Hsu for their excellent technical support.

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    Authors and Affiliations

    1. Institute of Brain Science, National Yang-Ming University, No. 155, Sec. 2, Li-Nong St., Taipei, 11221, Taiwan

      T. B. J. Kuo, Jia-Yi Li, Chang-Ming Chern & C. C. H. Yang

    2. Sleep Research Center, National Yang-Ming University, No. 155, Sec. 2, Li-Nong St., Taipei, 11221, Taiwan

      T. B. J. Kuo, Jia-Yi Li, Chang-Ming Chern & C. C. H. Yang

    3. Department of Education and Research, Taipei City Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan

      T. B. J. Kuo & C. C. H. Yang

    4. Division of Translational Medicine, Stroke & Neurovascular Center, Taipei Veterans General Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan

      T. B. J. Kuo & Chang-Ming Chern

    5. Brain Research Center, National Yang-Ming University, Taipei, Taiwan

      T. B. J. Kuo, Chang-Ming Chern & C. C. H. Yang

    6. Institute of Translational and Interdisciplinary Medicine, National Central University, Taoyuan, Taiwan

      T. B. J. Kuo

    7. Department of Health and Leisure Management, Yuanpei University of Medical Technology, Hsinchu, Taiwan

      Jia-Yi Li

    8. Department of Geriatrics and Gerontology and Department of Internal Medicine, National Taiwan University Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan

      Hsu-Ko Kuo

    9. Department of Neurology, Taipei Veterans General Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan

      T. B. J. Kuo & Chang-Ming Chern

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    Correspondence to C. C. H. Yang.

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    The procedures used in this study were approved by the Institutional Review Board of Taipei Veterans General Hospital.

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    The authors declare that they have no competing interests.

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    All subjects gave written informed consent after the experimental procedures had been described to them.

    Grants

    This work was supported by a grant (103 AC-B3) from the Ministry of Education, Aim for the Top University Plan, a grant (NSC-99-2627-B-010-006) from the National Science Council (Taiwan), a grant (10101-62-031) from Taipei City Hospital, and a grant (MOST 103-2911-I-008-001) from Ministry of Science and Technology support for the Center for Dynamical Biomarkers and Translational Medicine, National Central University, Taiwan.

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    T. B. J. Kuo and Jia-Yi Li contributed equally to this work.

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    Kuo, T.B.J., Li, JY., Kuo, HK. et al. Differential changes and interactions of autonomic functioning and sleep architecture before and after 50 years of age. AGE 38, 5 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11357-015-9863-0

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