All posts by SleepRhythm

The Psychomotor Vigilance Task: Role in the Diagnosis of Hepatic Encephalopathy and Relationship with Driving Ability.

Formentin Chiara, De Rui Michele, Zoncapè Mirco, Ceccato Silvia, Zarantonello Lisa, Senzolo Marco, Burra Patrizia, Angeli Paolo, Amodio Piero, Montagnese Sara Journal of Hepatology BACKGROUND & AIMS: Hepatic Encephalopathy (HE) is a syndrome of decreased vigilance, and has been associated with impaired driving ability. The aim of this study was to evaluate the Psychomotor Vigilance […]

Hepatic encephalopathy 2018: A clinical practice guideline by the Italian Association for the Study of the Liver (AISF)

Sara Montagnese,Francesco Paolo Russo, Piero Amodio, Patrizia Burra, Antonio Gasbarrini, Carmela Loguercio, Giulio Marchesini, Manuela Merli, Francesca Romana Ponziani, Oliviero Riggio, Carmelo Scarpignato Digestive and Liver Disease Hepatic encephalopathy (HE) is a common, worrisome and sometimes difficult to manage complication of end-stage liver disease. HE is often recurrent, requiring multiple hospital admissions. It can have […]

Morning Bright Light Treatment for Sleep-Wake Disturbances in Primary Biliary Cholangitis: A Pilot Study

Matteo Turco, Nora Cazzagon, Irene Franceschet, Chiara Formentin, Giovanni Frighetto, Francesca Giordani, Nicola Cellini, Gabriella Mazzotta, Rodolfo Costa, Benita Middleton, Debra J. Skene, Annarosa Floreani and Sara Montagnese Frontiers in Physiology Patients with Primary Biliary Cholangitis (PBC) exhibit delayed sleep-wake habits, disturbed night sleep and daytime sleepiness/fatigue. Such combination of symptoms is reminiscent of delayed […]

Cryptochrome Is a Regulator of Synaptic Plasticity in the Visual System of Drosophila melanogaster

Damulewicz M, Mazzotta GM, Sartori E, Rosato E, Costa R, Pyza EM Frontiers in Molecular Neuroscience, 2017 Drosophila CRYPTOCHROME (CRY) is a blue light sensitive protein with a key role in circadian photoreception. A main feature of CRY is that light promotes an interaction with the circadian protein TIMELESS (TIM) resulting in their ubiquitination and degradation, a […]

Calmodulin Enhances Cryptochrome Binding to INAD in Drosophila Photoreceptors.

Mazzotta GM, Bellanda M, Minervini G, Damulewicz M, Cusumano P, Aufiero S, Stefani M, Zambelli B, Mammi S, Costa R, Tosatto SCE. Frontiers in Molecular Neuroscience, 2018 Light is the main environmental stimulus that synchronizes the endogenous timekeeping systems in most terrestrial organisms. Drosophila cryptochrome (dCRY) is a light-responsive flavoprotein that detects changes in light […]

Modulation of miR-210 alters phasing of circadian locomotor activity and impairs projections of PDF clock neurons in Drosophila melanogaster.

Cusumano P, Biscontin A, Sandrelli F, Mazzotta GM, Tregnago C, De Pittà C, Costa R. Plos Genetics Single microRNAs are usually associated with hundreds of putative target genes that can influence multiple phenotypic traits in Drosophila, ranging from development to behaviour. We investigated the function of Drosophila miR-210 in circadian behaviour by misexpressing it within […]

Cryptochrome Interacts With Actin and Enhances Eye-Mediated Light Sensitivity of the Circadian Clock in Drosophila melanogaster.

Schlichting M, Rieger D, Cusumano P, Grebler R, Costa R, Mazzotta GM, Helfrich-Förster C. Frontiers in Molecular Neuroscience Cryptochromes (CRYs) are a class of flavoproteins that sense blue light. In animals, CRYs are expressed in the eyes and in the clock neurons that control sleep/wake cycles and are implied in the generation and/or entrainment of […]

Changes in Accident & Emergency Visits and Return Visits in Relation to the Enforcement of Daylight Saving Time and Photoperiod

Ferrazzi E., Romualdi C., Ocello M., Frighetto G., Turco M.,Vigolo S., Fabris F., Angeli P.,Vettore G., Costa R., Montagnese S. Journal of Biological Rhythms Daylight saving time (DST) is a source of circadian disruption impinging on millions of people every year. Our aim was to assess modifications, if any, in the number, type, and outcome […]

A Semi-natural Approach for Studying Seasonal Diapause in Drosophila melanogaster Reveals Robust Photoperiodicity

Nagy D.,  Andreatta G., Bastianello S., Martín Anduaga A., Mazzotta G., Kyriacou CP., Costa R. Journal of Biological Rhythms The fruit fly Drosophila melanogaster survives thermally stressful conditions in a state of reproductive dormancy (diapause), manifested by reduced metabolic activity and arrested ovarian development in females. Unlike insects that rely primarily on photoperiodic stimuli to initiate […]

Assessment and Management of Sleep Disturbance in Cirrhosis

Formentin C,  Garrido M,  Montagnese S. Current Hepatology Reports This review presents an in-depth overview of the sleep–wake phenotype of patients with cirrhosis, together with available pharmacological and non-pharmacological treatment strategies. A set of simple, practical recommendations is also provided. The understanding of the pathophysiology of sleep disorders in this patient population has improved over the […]