Abstract
Impairment of well-being and cognitive function has been reported in
growth hormone-deficient adults, as well as an improvement of these parameters
after GH substitution, albeit inconsistently. The effect of growth hormone on
central nervous activity, vigilance and sleepiness was studied prospectively in
16 growth hormone-deficient adults (7 females, 9 males, mean age: 36.8 yrs)
with multiple pituitary hormone deficiencies before and 3 months after the
start of growth hormone substitution using two objective methods of
measurement, pupillographic sleepiness test and a choice reaction time test.
Significant differences were found for neither pupillary unrest index nor for
reaction time, false or missing reactions in 12 evaluable patients (7 females,
5 males, mean age 37.8 years). Because of the known interrelationships between
growth hormone, sleep and mood, the visual analogue scale for tiredness and
standardized retrospective questionnaires regarding sleep and mood (Pittsburgh
sleep quality index, Epworth sleepiness scale, Depression scale) were used as
additional methods. After GH substitution, there was no difference in sleep
efficiency and daytime sleepiness, but some of the subjective sleep parameters
(sleep quality and sleep latency) improved significantly. There was a tendency
for mood improvement, too. Although results must be interpreted cautiously due
to the small sample size, we conclude that the improved sleep and mood
parameters might be caused by other indices of general well-being in our
study.
Key words
Pupillographic Sleepiness Test - Reaction Time - Growth Hormone Efficacy - Sleep Quality
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M. E. Pavel
Department of Internal Medicine I · Division of
Endocrinology
University of Erlangen-Nürnberg · Ulmenweg 18 ·
91054 Erlangen · Germany
Fax: + 49 (91 31) 853 50 66
Email: marianne.pavel@med1.imed.uni-erlangen.de