Auditory stimulation of sleep slow waves significantly increased left ventricular global longitudinal strain (P<0.001) and ejection fraction (P=0.018) compared to sham in healthy men.
RCT (n=18)
Double-blind
Randomized cross-over
No
Does auditory stimulation of sleep slow waves improve left ventricular function in humans?
Enhancing sleep slow waves via auditory stimulation improves left ventricular function, highlighting a potential mechanism linking sleep quality to cardiovascular health.
p-value: p=<0.001
Although the impact of sleep on cardiovascular health is widely accepted¹, precise mechanisms by which specific brain oscillations during sleep facilitate post-sleep cardiac function remain unclear. Slow waves, the prominent brain oscillations of non-rapid eye movement (NREM, here NREM Stage 2 + 3) sleep, are hypothesized to play a critical role in mediating the beneficial effects of sleep on cardiovascular functioning. Here, we used auditory stimulation to experimentally enhance slow waves and test whether that affects cardiovascular function during and after sleep.
Huwiler et al. (Thu,) conducted a rct in Healthy volunteers (n=18). Auditory stimulation of sleep slow waves vs. SHAM condition (no stimulation) was evaluated on Left ventricular global longitudinal strain (p=<0.001). Auditory stimulation of sleep slow waves significantly increased left ventricular global longitudinal strain (P<0.001) and ejection fraction (P=0.018) compared to sham in healthy men.