O7
CIRCADIAN DISRUPTION, SLEEP QUALITY, AND SOMNOLENCE IN THE WINTER-OVER CREW OF THE CONCORDIA STATION, ANTARCTICA
- Cocco, Centre for Occupational and Environmental Health, University of Manchester, UK
Background
The lack of a regular light/dark cycle in Isolated, Confined and Extreme (ICE) environments affects sleep. To further examine sleep disruption under these conditions, we used preliminary data from an ongoing study.
Methods
The CIRCADAPT project is currently taking place at the Concordia Base, Antarctica, under the auspices of the European Space Agency and the Italian Space Agency. A questionnaire, incorporating the Epworth Sleepiness Scale (ESS) for daytime somnolence and the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) for sleep quality, was self-administered before departure and after one month in Antarctica as part of the study protocol, which includes genetic, epigenetic, biomarker data, and instrumental measurements. Here, we compare ESS and PSQI scores after one month in Antarctica with the baseline values.
Results
The eleven participants were eight men and three women, aged 40.9 years (sd 9.72). The average sleeping hours were 6.8 (sd 1.01) and did not change after one month in Antarctica (8.8, sd 1.40). The baseline median ESS score was 6 (Interquartile range [IQR]: 4 – 7) and increased in 7/11 participants after one month in Antarctica (Wilcoxon T = 1.47, p = 0.07). The baseline PSQI score was 9 (IQR: 7.5 – 10.5) and changed very little (T = 1.20, p = 0.11).
Conclusions
We observed modest sleep disruption in some subjects one month after arrival in Antarctica. The ongoing monitoring will help determine whether adaptive mechanisms will emerge over time in this small study population, and what genetic, epigenetic, and/or lifestyle factors may facilitate them.
References:
- Johns, M.W. A New Method for Measuring Daytime Sleepiness: The Epworth Sleepiness Scale. Sleep 1991, 14, 540–545.
- Buysse, D.J.; Reynolds, C.F.; Monk, T.H.; Berman, S.R.; Kupfer, D.J. The Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index: A New Instrument for Psychiatric Practice and Research. Psychiatry Res. 1989, 28, 193–213.
- Van Ombergen A, Rossiter A, Ngo-Anh TJ. “White Mars” – nearly two decades of biomedical research at the Antarctic Concordia station. Exp Physiol 2020;1-12.
- Mairesse O, MacDonald-Nethercott E, Neu D, Tellez HF, Dessy E, Neyt X, Meeusen R, Pattyn N. Preparing for Mars: Human sleep and performance during a 13 month stay in Antarctica. Sleep, 2019;42(1): zsy206.
