Sleep disorders are often caused by hypermotor restlessness, restless leg syndrome, hyperarousability, periodic limb movements in sleep and restless sleep disorder. Now, a new study has considered the role iron levels play in causing these disorders.
Iron is usually found in microglia, oligodendrocytes, astrocytes and neurons. This element is needed to help synthesize neurotransmitters that regulate the wake/sleep cycle.
The study used data gathered from structured intake forms and clinical evaluations conducted at the Child & Adolescent Psychiatry division of the Sleep/Wake-Behavior clinic in BC Children’s Hospital. Data on parental history of iron deficiency, recent iron status and covariate factors such as medications and comorbidities was recorded.
The mean age of patients included in the study was 11, with the researchers finding that 188 of the patients fulfilled the criteria for anemic or nonanemic iron deficiency. Several participants also reported a family history of the deficiency, with most of them revealing that their mothers experienced some deficiency during pregnancy and/or in their teenage years.
Additionally, about one-half of the study cohort admitted to suffering from disruptive behaviors, with ADHD being a common diagnosis.
The researchers conducted a retrospective analysis of the data, finding that genetic conditions, neurologic conditions, developmental delay/intellectual disability and autism spectrum disorder were common neurodevelopmental presentations. In their report, they revealed that 11% of the patients suffered from painful restless leg syndrome with another 52% reporting a family history of the same.
In addition, 30% of the patients also lived with periodic limb movements in sleep/restless sleep disorder. The researchers explained that a family history of iron deficiency heightened the likelihood of an individual having restless sleep disorder, insomnia and familial restless leg syndrome. They also highlighted a number of limitations, including the lack of data on the potential causes of iron deficiency.
The study lacked a structured categorization for some data. For instance, no distinction was made between nonanemic and anemic iron deficiency in the e-intake forms. Further, data on father and mother iron deficiencies weren’t separated.
Future research is required to shed light on the mechanisms involved in iron deficiency, given that this deficit may be caused by different factors, among them inadequate nutrition or inflammation.
The team published its findings in the “Nutrients” journal. The researchers involved include David Wensley, Osman S. Ipsiroglu, Alexandra L. Wagner, Parveer K. Pandher, Anamaria Richardson, Olivia Hill, Marion Suzanne Lewis, Scout McWilliams, Calvin Kuo, Melissa Braschel, Elizabeth Keys, Robin Friedlander and Katherine Edwards.
As companies such as PaxMedica Inc. (OTC: PXMD) continue their efforts to develop treatments targeting autism, it is likely that more insights into the factors behind the onset of the symptoms that patients manifest will become known.
NOTE TO INVESTORS: The latest news and updates relating to PaxMedica Inc. (NASDAQ: PXMD) are available in the company’s newsroom at https://ibn.fm/PXMD
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