Exploration of the Relationship Between Sleep Biomarkers and Objective Sleep Measures

Aufricht, Julia

Publication

Exploration of the Relationship Between Sleep Biomarkers and Objective Sleep Measures

Aufricht, Julia

Date

2019

Additional date(s)

2019-12-18

Abstract

Survivors of childhood central nervous system (CNS) cancer are often left with a variety of SWD as a result of their illness and treatment, such as a disruption of the circadian rhythm, excessive daytime sleepiness, insomnia, and sleep disordered breathing. Researchers utilize salivary biomarkers as an objective indicator of biologic process used to provide information on a patient's physiologic state. The student researcher utilized a correlational design to explore relationships between polysomnography (PSG) outcomes and salivary melatonin levels in 12 children and adolescents ages 10-17 who were diagnosed and treated for a brain tumor. Results included a large effect size between overnight melatonin change (difference between PM and AM level) and all of the sleep parameters studied (sleep latency, sleep efficiency, and wake after sleep onset). There were strong positive correlations relating to AM melatonin levels, particularly with sleep latency (r=0.69) and wake after sleep onset (r=0.48). Further research should explore sleep latency and sleep biomarkers, specifically melatonin, using a larger sample size in order to prove correlation between the two factors and confirm clinical significance.