Medical History of Optic Chiasm Compression in Patients With Pituitary Insufficiency Affects Skin Temperature and Its Relation to Sleep

The hypothalamus is crucially involved in the circadian timing of the sleep-wake rhythm, yet also accommodates the most important thermoregulatory neuronal network. We have shown before that adults with pituitary insufficiency and history of chiasm compression due to a tumor with suprasellar extension fall asleep later and sleep shorter than those without such history and presumed hypothalamic involvement. To solidify the hypothesized link between vigilance and thermoregulation by the hypothalamus, we aimed to test the hypothesis that the presumed hypothalamic impairment in these patients also affects skin temperature and its association with sleep onset. In a case-control study of 50 patients (54.7 ± 14.5 yrs of age, 30 males) with pituitary insufficiency, 33 of whom had a history of chiasm compression, ambulatory distal and proximal skin temperatures were assessed continuously for 24 h. Sleep parameters were assessed via questionnaire. Group differences in mean skin temperature, calculated over the wake...