Cited by 134Sleep and Wakefulness ResearchSleep and related disordersStress Responses and Cortisol

Middle-aged men show higher sensitivity of sleep to the arousing effects of corticotropin-releasing hormone than young men: clinical implications

Vgontzas, Alexandros N., Bixler, Edward O., Wittman, Annmarie M., Zachman, Keith, Lin, Hung-Mo, Vela-Bueno, Antonio, Kales, Anthony, Chrousos, George P.·2001·The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism

Abstract

The prevalence of insomnia associated with emotional stress increases markedly in middle-age. Both the top and end hormones of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis, i.e. CRH and glucocorticoids, stimulate arousal/wakefulness and inhibit slow wave (deep) sleep in experimental animals and man. The objective of this study was to test the hypothesis that middle-age is characterized by increased sensitivity to the sleep-disturbing effects of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis. We studied 12 healthy middle-aged (45.1 +/- 4.9) and 12 healthy young (22.7 +/- 2.8) men by monitoring their sleep by polysomnography for 4 consecutive nights, including in tandem 1 adaptation and 2 baseline nights and a night during which we administered equipotent doses of ovine CRH (1 microg/kg, iv bolus) 10 min after sleep onset. Analyses included comparisons within and between groups using multiple ANOVA and regression analysis. Although both middle-aged and young men responded to CRH with similar elevations of ACTH and cortisol, the former had significantly more wakefulness and suppression of slow wave sleep compared with baseline sleep; in contrast, the latter showed no change. Also, comparison of the change in sleep patterns from baseline to the CRH night in the young men to the respective change observed in middle-aged men showed that middle-age was associated with significantly higher wakefulness and significantly greater decrease in slow wave sleep than in young age. We conclude that middle-aged men show increased vulnerability of sleep to stress hormones, possibly resulting in impairments in the quality of sleep during periods of stress. We suggest that changes in sleep physiology associated with middle-age play a significant role in the marked increase of prevalence of insomnia in middle-age.

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Crossref · 10.1210/jcem.86.4.7370

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Authors
Vgontzas, A. N., Bixler, E. O., Wittman, A. M., Zachman, K., Lin, H.-M., Vela-Bueno, A., Kales, A., & Chrousos, G. P.
Affiliations
  • Pennsylvania State University (US)
  • National Institutes of Health (US)
Corresponding author
Vgontzas, Alexandros N.
Venue
The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism
Published
2001-03
Volume
86
Issue
4
Pages
1489-1495
ISSN
  • 0021-972X (ISSN-L)
  • 1945-7197
OpenAlex
W2071937025
Cited by
134
References
30
Citations by year
2026: 1 · 2025: 2 · 2024: 5 · 2023: 2 · 2022: 4 · 2021: 5 · 2020: 3 · 2019: 1 · 2018: 3 · 2017: 3 · 2016: 5 · 2015: 2 · 2014: 9 · 2013: 8 · 2012: 4
FWCI
4.19
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
closed
Locations
  • The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
Topics
  • Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Cognitive Neuroscience › Sleep and Wakefulness Research
  • Social Sciences › Psychology › Experimental and Cognitive Psychology › Sleep and related disorders
  • Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Behavioral Neuroscience › Stress Responses and Cortisol
Keywords
corticotropin-releasing factor, middle age (human life stage), age-related sleep changes, wakefulness, hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis, ACTH, cortisol, stress hormones, insomnia, sleep quality, older men
MeSH terms
Adrenocorticotropic Hormone, Adult, Aging, Animals, Arousal, Corticotropin-Releasing Hormone, Electroencephalography, Humans, Hydrocortisone, Hypothalamo-Hypophyseal System, Male, Middle Aged, Pituitary-Adrenal System, Sheep, Sleep, Sleep Wake Disorders

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