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The spread of COVID‐19 has dramatically changed our lives. This study aimed to examine the lifestyles of female college students, focusing on physical activity, sleep status, and anxiety status during the pandemic (while under a state of emergency) in Japan. A total of 184 female college students completed two questionnaires, anthropometric measurements, and daily activity logs and diet records, in groups of 115 and 69 participants recruited before and during the pandemic, respectively. Findings showed a significant decrease in physical activity: Physical activity levels fell from "normal" to "low" and the daily step counts decreased by nearly half, from 8671 to 4640. In addition, the results from the questionnaires revealed that half of the participants were at risk of having sleep disturbances, and their sleep cycles became more nocturnal, which may have caused higher anxiety states and lower sleep quality during the pandemic. Furthermore, anxiety states worsened, with 100% of the participants experiencing high anxiety during the pandemic. Monitoring lifestyle disturbances during the pandemic is needed for the development of interventions to improve health among young women. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This RCT and mixed-methods study examined the difference between two groups receiving the following interventions: (1) brief manual standardized stress acupuncture (MSSA) combined with an abbreviated Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (ACBT) versus (2) ACBT alone. Three study aims: Aim (1): Insomnia Severity Index (ISI) and Pittsburg Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) scores were analyzed using descriptive summaries, linear regression, and reliable change index (RCI). Aim (2): Journal entries were analyzed using content analysis. Aim (3): Acupuncture Expectancy Scale (AES) scores were analyzed using paired t -test and RCI. Aim (1): Both groups demonstrated similar improvements in the ISI scores (p =.480). Aim (2): The ACBT/MSSA group reported greater benefits in sleep and in other life areas including mental, physical, and social functioning. Aim (3): The AES showed that 21.6% had a clinically meaningful increase in expectations in the effect of acupuncture for stress (p =.965). The study was registered in ClinicalTrials.gov (NCT04031365) at https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT04031365 on July 24, 2019. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: To assess the impacts of social situation changes due to the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic on headache-related disability and other symptoms in patients with migraine in Japan. Methods: We conducted a multicentre, cross-sectional study including 659 outpatients with migraine diagnosed by headache specialists. The participants were asked about the impacts of the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic on headache-related disability, headache days, headache intensity, stress, physical activity, hospital access and their work and home lives. For headache-related disability, the total Migraine Disability Assessment (MIDAS) score and part A and B scores were analysed. Multivariate stepwise linear regression analysis was performed to identify the clinical predictors of changes in the total MIDAS score before and during the COVID-19 pandemic. Logistic regression analysis was performed to determine the factors related to new-onset headache during the COVID-19 pandemic. Results: Finally, 606 migraine patients (73 M/533 F; age, 45.2 ± 12.0 years) were included in the study, excluding those with incomplete data. Increased stress, substantial concern about COVID-19 and negative impacts of the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic on daily life were reported in 56.8 %, 55.1 and 45.0 % of the participants, respectively. The total MIDAS and A and B scores did not significantly change after the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic. New-onset headache, which was observed in 95 patients (15.7 %), was associated with younger age and worsened mood and sleep in the logistic regression analysis. The multivariate stepwise linear regression analysis of changes in the total MIDAS score before and during the first wave of COVID-19 pandemic identified worsened sleep, increased acute medication use, increased stress, medication shortages, comorbidities, the absence of an aura and new-onset headache were determinants of an increased total MIDAS score during the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic. Conclusions: In this multicentre study, clinical factors relevant to headache-related disability, such as new-onset headache, stress and sleep disturbances, were identified, highlighting the importance of symptom management in migraine patients during the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: This study examined the association between excessive daytime sleepiness (EDS) and gait characteristics (e.g., speed, variability) in community-dwelling older adults. Method: This cross-sectional study included 3,901 individuals aged ≥65 years. Participants answered questions about EDS, sleep duration, and other sleep-related symptoms. Gait speed, stride length, and the variability in stride length were assessed by using a stopwatch and a WalkWay device. Results: EDS was significantly associated with slower gait speed among younger subjects (<75 years, p = .021) and with both slower gait speed (p = .045) and greater variability in stride length among older subjects (≥75 years, p = .048) in a multivariate analysis adjusted for age, sex, body mass index, medication, number of comorbidities, and education. Discussion: EDS associates with gait ability, particularly in older old adults. Further prospective studies are needed to determine the causal association between gait ability and sleep disturbances, including EDS. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There have been only a few studies on the relationship between sleep disturbances and somatic and psychological complaints in Japanese people. In this study, we analyzed this relationship using the data of the health and welfare survey performed in 2000 by the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare, Japan. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the relationship between sleep disturbances and somatic and psychological complaints among the Japanese general population. The survey was performed in members of households in 300 areas extracted randomly from all over the country using a self-reported questionnaire. The questionnaire items included somatic and psychological complaints (headache, dizziness, palpitation/dyspnea, epigastric discomfort, constipation/diarrhea, stiff neck/shoulder, backache, easy fatigability, persistent fatigue, irritability, anxiety, and worrying about health) and sleep disturbances. Data obtained from 28 714 subjects, aged 20 years or more, were analyzed. The prevalences of almost all complaints were significantly higher in the females than in the males. In the subjects who had a larger number of somatic and psychological complaints, the prevalence of symptom concerning sleep disturbances, such as difficulty initiating sleep, difficulty maintaining sleep, early morning awakening, insomnia, short sleep duration, and subjective insufficient sleep, were higher. Multivariate analysis demonstrated that individual somatic and psychological complaints were independently associated with each symptom of sleep disturbance. It is important to apply the results of this study to the treatment of sleep disturbances and sleep hygiene. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Members of expeditions to Antarctica may show changes in biological and physiological parameters involved in lipid, glucose, and thyroid hormone metabolism as they adapt to the environment; however, alterations in amino acid (AA) levels and sleep among expedition members in Antarctica have yet to be fully elucidated. We hypothesized that there would be alterations of blood AA levels, and ornithine (Orn) ingestion would affect biological parameters and sleep in Japanese expedition members during the summer in Antarctica. Japanese Antarctica Research Expedition members (22 people) who stayed in Antarctica for 3 months from December 2010 were examined, and a randomized double-blind study of Orn ingestion (400 mg/d) for 4 weeks was performed. Sleep conditions were evaluated subjectively by the Oguri-Shirakawa-Azumi (brief version) questionnaire. The blood of Japanese Antarctica Research Expedition members in Antarctica showed higher creatine kinase, lactate dehydrogenase, and ammonia levels than that in Japan. On blood AA analysis, aspartate, Orn, and serine were significantly higher, and alanine and tryptophan (Trp) were significantly lower in Antarctica than in Japan. The Trp ratio, the value of Trp divided by the sum of phenylalanine, tyrosine, and branched-chain AAs, was significantly lower in Antarctica than in Japan. Although sleep deteriorated during the stay in Antarctica, Orn ingestion, to some extent, improved sleep compared with the placebo group in Antarctica, suggesting that Orn is effective for people with heavy physical workloads in places such as Antarctica., (Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)