Artículos de Investigación

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Research unit: search.filters.nucleo.Núcleo de Investigación en Ciencias de la Salud

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    Sleep health improvement trajectories after a pandemic: insights from a national health survey
    (2026)
    Jordi de Batlle
    ;
    Esther Gracia-Lavedan
    ;
    Adriano D S Targa
    ;
    Mario Henríquez-Beltrán
    ;
    Ferran Barbé
    <jats:title>Abstract</jats:title> <jats:sec> <jats:title>Study Objectives</jats:title> <jats:p>This study aimed to evaluate sleep health improvement trends in Catalonia, Spain, from 2020 to 2023 following the COVID-19 pandemic, and to identify disparities across demographic and socioeconomic groups.</jats:p> </jats:sec> <jats:sec> <jats:title>Methods</jats:title> <jats:p>This repeated cross-sectional study analyzed 11 794 responses from eight waves of the Catalan Health Survey. Sleep health was assessed using the SATED and Ru-SATED questionnaires, covering six dimensions: Satisfaction, Alertness, Timing, Efficiency, Duration, and Regularity. Trends over time were evaluated, and stratified and interaction models assessed differences by sex, age, BMI, material deprivation, comorbidity burden, and living situation. Survey weights ensured population representativity.</jats:p> </jats:sec> <jats:sec> <jats:title>Results</jats:title> <jats:p>Sleep health improved from mid-2021, then stabilized. Efficiency plateaued by late 2020, while Satisfaction remained the most unstable dimension. Sleep regularity diminished during the 2020 lockdowns but improved promptly afterward. Females consistently scored lower than males, though their improvement trajectories were similar (p-for-interaction = .906). Older adults (65+) and individuals with excess weight exhibited distinctive improvement trends (p-for-interaction = .023). Material deprivation was the strongest predictor of poor sleep health and delayed improvement (p-for-interaction = .024). Living alone had a temporary negative impact during lockdowns, which resolved by 2022. Finally, comorbidity burden affected baseline scores but not improvement trends (p-for-interaction = .467).</jats:p> </jats:sec> <jats:sec> <jats:title>Conclusions</jats:title> <jats:p>Sleep health improvement post-pandemic was uneven across sleep dimensions and population subgroups. Behavioral sleep dimensions improved earlier, while subjective satisfaction lagged. Socioeconomic factors, particularly material deprivation, were strongly associated with poorer and slower improvements. These findings highlight the importance of incorporating sleep health into pandemic preparedness and tailoring interventions to address both behavioral and structural determinants of health.</jats:p> </jats:sec>
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    Chewing Index: A Pilot Trial to Measure Masticatory Effort
    (2026)
    Franco Marinelli
    ;
    Camila Venegas-Ocampo
    ;
    Josefa Alarcón-Apablaza
    ;
    Rosemarie Schneider
    ;
    Pablo Navarro
    <jats:p>Background/Objectives: Population aging presents new challenges for achieving healthy aging. Edentulism is a condition that diminishes quality of life. Several studies have attempted to analyze the impact of edentulism on masticatory function either by evaluating the final stage of the food bolus or the masticatory process itself. The present study aims to develop a chewing index (Ci) based on chewing time, the number of cycles, and the muscular activity of the masseter and temporal muscles. Methods: Two groups (n = 10 each, 60–80 years old), one with functional dentition (21 or more teeth) (Group F) and one with complete denture wearers (Group D), were used. Participants were asked to chew a total of 36 food samples. The number of chewing cycles (N), chewing time (T), and bilateral activity of the masseter and anterior temporal muscles were recorded and quantified using the root mean square. This activity was normalized with respect to a 5 s maximum voluntary clenching (TMAV). A chewing index (Ci) was calculated using the equation Ci = N × V%¯ × T/TMAV, where V%¯ represents the average normalized activity of the four muscles. Results: Ci values ranged from 0 to 62 for Group F and 0 to 262 for Group D. For 15 out of the 36 food samples, Ci was higher in Group D than in Group F. Conclusions: The results of this study are consistent with previous research showing that complete denture wearers must chew for a longer time and perform a greater number of chewing cycles compared with subjects with functional dentition.</jats:p>
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    Skin advanced glycation end-products do not predict pulmonary function trajectories in adults from the ILERVAS cohort
    (2026)
    Gerard Torres
    ;
    Esther Gracia-Lavedan
    ;
    Jessica González
    ;
    Mario Henríquez-Beltrán
    ;
    Adriano D. S. Targa
    Advanced glycation end-products (AGEs) activate specific receptors (RAGE) promoting inflammation and oxidative stress. The lungs, with high RAGE expression, may be particularly susceptible to AGE-related injury. This study assessed whether baseline skin AGE levels, measured by skin autofluorescence (SAF), predict pulmonary function decline in middle-aged adults with cardiovascular risk factors. This ancillary analysis of the ILERVAS cohort included adults aged 45–70 years with cardiovascular risk factors but without diabetes or chronic kidney disease. Baseline data included demographics, lifestyle, and fasting blood tests. SAF was measured using AGE Reader™, and spirometry performed at baseline and after a median follow-up of 4 years. Associations between baseline SAF and annual declines in FEV1, FVC, and FEV1/FVC were analysed using adjusted models and generalized additive models, stratified by smoking status. Among 658 participants (median age 56 years, 48% female), median baseline SAF was 1.90 AU [1.60; 2.20]. Baseline lung function was preserved, with median FEV1, FVC and FEV1/FVC of 2795 mL [2270; 3,341], 3,525 mL [2870; 4300], and 78.6% [74.4; 82.8]. Annual declines were −  81.9 mL [− 120.6; − 43.3] for FEV1, − 99.6 mL [− 159.3; − 37.9] for FVC, and − 0.04% [− 0.85; 0.70] for FEV1/FVC. No significant associations were found between SAF and spirometry changes. Results were consistent across smoking subgroups. Baseline skin AGE levels did not predict pulmonary function decline over four years in middle-aged adults with cardiovascular risk factors. While SAF reflects cumulative AGE exposure, it has limited prognostic value for lung function in this population.
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    Evaluation of Mandibular Border Movements and Mastication in Patients with Temporomandibular Disorders: A Pilot Study with 3D Electromagnetic Articulography and Surface Electromyography
    (2025)
    Camila Cerda
    ;
    Franco Marinelli
    ;
    Jarpa-Parra, Marcela
    ;
    Pablo Navarro
    ;
    Ramón Fuentes
    Temporomandibular disorders (TMD) are characterized by pain and restricted functionality of the temporomandibular joint (TMJ). The objective of this study was to characterize the kinematic and electromyographic patterns of mandibular border movements and mastication in patients with different forms of TMD compared with healthy controls, through a simultaneous three-dimensional electromagnetic articulography (EMA-3D) and surface electromyography (sEMG) recording protocol. Sixteen participants were included and divided into three groups according to the TMD diagnosis (articular, muscular and mixed) and one healthy control group. Kinematic data were recorded using EMA-3D, and electromyographic activity of the masticatory muscles was assessed using sEMG. Variables analyzed included trajectories, areas, ranges, and electrical activity during mandibular border movements and mastication. Patients with TMD exhibited reduced movement trajectories but larger areas within the mandibular polygons, particularly in the frontal and sagittal planes. During mastication, the number of cycles was higher in the muscular group and lower in the healthy controls. Patients with TMD showed greater mean electromyographic activity, which could suggest compensatory muscle strain. The EMA-3D system provided an accurate threedimensional analysis, while sEMG captured detailed patterns of muscle activation and strain, that help better understand the neuromuscular alterations associated with TMD. Differentiation between TMD types (articular, muscular and mixed) for the study of its kinematic and electromyographic characteristics, is essential to improve diagnosis and treatment strategies. This study highlights the relevance of advanced tools such as EMA-3D and sEMG in the evaluation of TMD using a simultaneous recording protocol such as the one proposed in this study.