Health UK CU- Young people with genetic alterations that leads to more vulnerability to psychiatric conditions have been found to have a significantly distinct brain activity while asleep. This was found in a study conducted by the University of Bristol and Cardiff University.
The researchers examined sleep patterns while sleeping which gave insights into the genetic condition known as 22q11.2 Deletion Syndrome (22q11.2DS), which could be a possible biomarker that could play a role in the diagnosis of neuropsychiatric conditions for individual who have 22q11.2DS.
The deletion of around 30 genes on chromosome 22, 22q11.2DS also known as DiGeorges syndrome occurs for 1 in 3000 births. DiGeorges syndrome can lead to a variety of medical conditions such as attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder, autism spectrum disorder and epileptic seizures among others. Symptoms can also include joint and endocrine problems, kidney functioning issues as breathing difficulties and more.
Professor and co-senior author Marianne van den Bree of Psychological Medicine of Cardiff University stated that they had recently demonstrated that most young people with 22q11.2DS have sleep disorders such as insomnia and others linked mental health issues. But the prior evaluation based on parental reports of children’s sleep quality together with neurophysiology and the activity of the brain has not been evaluated.
The lead author of the research, Clinical Lecturer in General Adult Psychiatry of the University of Bristol, Nick Donnelly said “An established way of measuring brain activity during sleep is an electroencephalogram. This measures electrical activity during sleep and features patterns called spindles and slow-wave oscillations. These features are hallmarks of non-rapid eye movement sleep and are thought to aid memory consolidation and brain development. Because sleep EEG is known to be altered in many neurodevelopmental disorders, the properties and coordination of these alterations can be used as biomarkers for psychiatric dysfunction.”
