Zeitschrift für Schlafstörungen: Behandlung und Pflege

Self-Report Somatic Arousal Correlates with Sleep Complaints among Females with Irritable Bowel Syndrome: A Pilot Study

Joan E. Broderick, Morris S. Gold, Mohammad M. Amin and Avram R. Gold

Self-Report Somatic Arousal Correlates with Sleep Complaints among Females with Irritable Bowel Syndrome: A Pilot Study

 Study objectives: To investigate the relationship between somatic arousal and sleep complaints among females with irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), we compared self-report and objective measures of somatic arousal between females with IBS and healthy females correlating the somatic arousal measures with self-report measures of sleepiness, fatigue and sleep quality.
Methods: Twelve females with IBS and 12 healthy females had measurement of oral temperature, heart rate and the difference in heart rate between periods of wakefulness and sleep during polysomnography (HR PSG w–s). Self-report somatic arousal was obtained using the Mood and Anxiety Symptom Questionnaire anxious arousal subscale (MASQaas). Sleepiness, fatigue and sleep quality were assessed with the Epworth sleepiness scale (ESS), fatigue severity scale (FSS), and Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI), respectively.
Results: The MASQaas score distinguished females with IBS from controls and for all participants, correlated significantly with the ESS, FSS and PSQI. Among objective measures, only the HR PSG w-s separated significantly between groups and none of the objective measures correlated with self-report sleepiness, fatigue or sleep quality. For all participants, the MASQaas score correlated significantly with the HR PSG w-s.
Conclusions: Our findings provide preliminary support for quantifying somatic arousal by self-report and for somatic arousal being associated with poor sleep quality among females with IBS.