Van Yüzüncü Yıl University Faculty of Medicine, Department of Psychiatry, Van, Türkiye.
Van Yüzüncü Yıl University Faculty of Medicine, Department of Ophthalmology, Van, Türkiye.
Turk J Ophthalmol. 2023 Apr 20;53(2):111-119. doi: 10.4274/tjo.galenos.2022.59296.
Various physiological systems and behaviors such as the sleep-wake cycle, vigilance, body temperature, and the secretion of certain hormones are governed by a 24-hour cycle called the circadian system. While there are many external stimuli involved the regulation of circadian rhythm, the most powerful environmental stimulus is the daily light-dark cycle. Blind individuals with no light perception develop circadian desynchrony. This leads to non-24-hour sleep-wake rhythm disorder, which is associated with sleep-wake disorders, as well as mood disorders and loss of appetite and gastrointestinal disturbances due to disrupted circadian hormone regulation. As the diagnosis is often delayed because of under-recognition in clinical practice, patients must cope with varying degrees of social and academic dysfunction. Most blind individuals report that non-24-hour sleep-wake rhythm disorder affects them more than blindness. In the treatment of totally blind patients suffering from non-24-hour sleep-wake rhythm disorder, the first-line management is behavioral approaches. Drug therapy includes melatonin and the melatonin agonist tasimelteon. Diagnosing blind individuals' sleep disorders is also relevant to treatment because they can be improved with the use of melatonin and its analogues or by phototherapy if they have residual vision. Therefore, assessing sleep problems and planning treatment accordingly for individuals presenting with blindness is an important issue for ophthalmologists to keep in mind.
各种生理系统和行为,如睡眠-觉醒周期、警觉性、体温和某些激素的分泌,都受称为昼夜节律系统的 24 小时周期控制。虽然昼夜节律的调节涉及许多外部刺激,但最强大的环境刺激是日常的光-暗周期。没有光感的盲人会出现昼夜节律失调。这会导致非 24 小时睡眠-觉醒节律障碍,与睡眠-觉醒障碍以及情绪障碍和食欲下降以及胃肠道紊乱有关,因为昼夜节律激素调节被打乱。由于在临床实践中认识不足,诊断往往被延迟,因此患者必须应对不同程度的社交和学业功能障碍。大多数盲人报告说,非 24 小时睡眠-觉醒节律障碍对他们的影响超过失明。对于患有非 24 小时睡眠-觉醒节律障碍的全盲患者,一线治疗是行为方法。药物治疗包括褪黑素和褪黑素激动剂替马曲林。诊断盲人的睡眠障碍也与治疗相关,因为如果他们有残余视力,使用褪黑素及其类似物或光疗可以改善睡眠障碍。因此,评估失明患者的睡眠问题并相应地计划治疗是眼科医生需要牢记的一个重要问题。