G. Wittersheim

Bio: G. Wittersheim is an academic researcher from Centre national de la recherche scientifique. The author has contributed to research in topics: Background noise & Ambient noise level. The author has an hindex of 2, co-authored 2 publications receiving 74 citations.

Relative and combined effects of heat and noise exposure on sleep in humans.

Abstract: In a counter-balanced design, the effects of daytime and/or nighttime exposure to heat and/or traffic noise on night sleep were studied in eight healthy young men. During the day, the subjects were exposed to baseline condition (ambient temperature = 20 degrees C; no noise) or to both heat (35 degrees C) and noise. The duration of the daytime exposure was 8 h ending 5 h before sleep onset. The following nights, the subjects slept either in undisturbed (20 degrees C; no noise) or in noise, heat, or noise plus heat-disturbed environments. During the day, the various types of traffic noise were distributed at a rate of 48/h with peak intensities ranging between 79 and 86 dB(A). The background noise level was at 45 dB(A). At night, the peak intensities were reduced by 15 dB(A), the rate was diminished to 9/h, and the background noise was at 30 dB(A). Electrophysiological measures of sleep and esophageal and mean skin temperatures were continuously recorded. The results showed that both objective and subjective measures of sleep were more disturbed by heat than by noise. The thermal load had a larger impact on sleep quality than on sleep architecture. In the nocturnal hot condition, total sleep time decreased while duration of wakefulness, number of sleep stage changes, stage 1 episodes, number of awakenings, and transitions toward waking increased. An increase in the frequency of transient activation phases was also found in slow-wave sleep and in stage 2. In the nocturnal noise condition, only total number of sleep stage changes, changes to waking, and number of stage 1 episodes increased.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Cardiovascular responses and electroencephalogram disturbances to intermittent noises: effects of nocturnal heat and daytime exposure.

Abstract: During sleep, in thermoneutral conditions, the noise of a passing vehicle induces a biphasic cardiac response, a transient peripheral vasoconstriction and sleep disturbances. The present study was performed to determine whether or not the physiological responses were modified in a hot environment or after daytime exposure to both heat and noise. Eight young men were exposed to a nocturnal thermoneutral (20 degrees C) or hot (35 degrees C) environment disturbed by traffic noise. During the night, the peak intensities were of 71 dB(A) for trucks, 67 dB(A) for motorbikes and 64 dB(A) for cars. The background noise level (pink noise) was set at 30 dB(A). The noises were randomly distributed at a rate of 9.h-1. Nights were equally preceded by daytime exposure to combined heat and noise or to no disturbance. During the day, the noises as well as the background noise levels were increased by 15 dB(A) and the rate was 48.h-1. Electroencephalogram (EEG) measures of sleep, electrocardiograms and finger pulse amplitudes were continuously recorded. Regardless of the day condition, when compared with undisturbed nights, the nocturnal increase in the level of heart rate induced by heat exposure disappeared when noise was added. Percentages, delays, magnitudes and costs of cardiac and vascular responses as well as EEG events such as transient activation phases (TAP) due to noise were not affected by nocturnal thermal load or by the preceding daytime exposure to disturbances.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Burden of Disease from Environmental Noise: Quantification of Healthy Life Years Lost in Europe

Abstract: The health impacts of environmental noise are a growing concern. At least one million healthy life years are lost every year from traffic-related noise in the western part of Europe. This publication summarises the evidence on the relationship between environmental noise and health effects, including cardiovascular disease, cognitive impairment, sleep disturbance, tinnitus, and annoyance. For each one, the environmental burden of disease methodology, based on exposure-response relationship, exposure distribution, background prevalence of disease and disability weights of the outcome, is applied to calculate the burden of disease in terms of disability-adjusted life-years. Data are still lacking for the rest of the WHO European Region. This publication provides policy-makers and their advisers with technical support in their quantitative risk assessment of environmental noise. International, national and local authorities can use the procedure for estimating burdens presented here to prioritize and plan environmental and public health policies.

Postoperative sleep disturbances: mechanisms and clinical implications.

Abstract: Major surgery is beset by complications such as pulmonary, cardiac, thromboembolic and cerebral dysfunction, which cannot be attributed solely to inadequate surgical and anaesthetic techniques, but rather to increased organ demands caused by the endocrine metabolic response to surgical trauma [33]. Postoperative cerebral dysfunction comprises delirium, confusion and milder degrees of mental dysfunction [1, 48, 53, 62], and disturbances in the normal sleep pattern [4, 7, 9, 13, 17, 34, 39, 42, 65]. Changes in early postoperative sleep [4, 7, 8, 13, 17, 34, 39, 42, 65] and sleep after non-surgical stress [10, 20, 24, 26, 27, 29, 60] are characterized by a decrease in total sleep time, elimination of rapid eye movement (REM) sleep, a marked reduction in the amount of slow wave sleep (SWS) and increased amounts of non-REM (N-REM) sleep stage 2. Recent data have suggested that postoperative sleep disturbances may be involved in the development of altered mental function [27], postoperative episodic hypoxaemia [38, 65] and haemodynamic instability [40]. The aim of this article, therefore, is to review the incidence and duration of postoperative sleep disturbances, and to evaluate possible mechanisms and potential implications for postoperative outcome.

Late postoperative nocturnal episodic hypoxaemia and associated sleep pattern

Abstract: Ten patients undergoing major abdominal surgery under general anaesthesia were monitored with a pulse oximeter, electroencephalogram, electromyogram, electrocardiogram and eye and hand movement sensors two nights before and three nights after surgery. Episodic hypoxaemic events were increased significantly after surgery (P

Effects of guidelines implementation in a surgical intensive care unit to control nighttime light and noise levels.

Abstract: ObjectiveBecause of around-the-clock activities, environmental noise and light are among the many causes of sleep disturbance in an intensive care unit (ICU). The implementation of guidelines may potentially change behavior rules and improve sleep quality.DesignA prospective interventional study, ob