Dr. Motivala?s work focuses on sleep disturbance, stress and health outcomes and the underlying physiological pathways that link these phenomena together. Poor sleep impacts the immune system in ways that are just beginning to be identified. Immune processes, specifically the expression of signaling molecules called cytokines, can impact sleep. This bidirectional relationship is important for overall health because the very same cytokines involved in sleep regulation, including interleukins 1 and 6 and tumor necrosis factor also play a role in chronic low grade inflammatory processes and a number of autoimmune disorders.
Dr. Motivala was recently awarded a five-year clinical scientist grant from the National Institutes of Health to study the effects of behavioral treatment of chronic insomnia on markers of energy balance and metabolism in older adults. There is growing evidence that sleep disturbance is associated with changes energy balance that promote weight gain and this will be the first study to examine sleep and energy balance in older adults with chronic insomnia.
Publications
Motivala Sarosh J, Tomiyama A Janet, Ziegler Michael, Khandrika Srikrishna, Irwin Michael R Nocturnal levels of ghrelin and leptin and sleep in chronic insomnia..
Psychoneuroendocrinology.
2009; 34(4):
540-5.
Irwin Michael R, Olmstead Richard, Motivala Sarosh J Improving sleep quality in older adults with moderate sleep
complaints: A randomized controlled trial of Tai Chi Chih..
Sleep.
2008; 31(7):
1001-8.
Valladares Edwin M, Eljammal Sam M, Motivala Sarosh, Ehlers Cindy L, Irwin Michael R Sex differences in cardiac sympathovagal balance and vagal tone during
nocturnal sleep..
Sleep medicine.
2008; 9(3):
310-6.
Motivala Sarosh J, Khanna Dinesh, FitzGerald John, Irwin Michael R Stress activation of cellular markers of inflammation in rheumatoid
arthritis: protective effects of tumor necrosis factor alpha
antagonists..
Arthritis and rheumatism.
2008; 58(2):
376-83.
Davis Mary C, Zautra Alex J, Younger Jarred, Motivala Sarosh J, Attrep Jeanne, Irwin Michael R Chronic stress and regulation of cellular markers of inflammation in
rheumatoid arthritis: implications for fatigue..
Brain, behavior, and immunity.
2008; 22(1):
24-32.
Irwin Michael R, Olmos Luis, Wang Minge, Valladares Edwin M, Motivala Sarosh J, Fong Tim, Newton Tom, Butch Anthony, Olmstead Richard, Cole Steve W Cocaine dependence and acute cocaine induce decreases of monocyte
proinflammatory cytokine expression across the diurnal period:
autonomic mechanisms..
The Journal of pharmacology and experimental therapeutics.
2007; 320(2):
507-15.
Irwin Michael R, Valladares Edwin M, Motivala Sarosh, Thayer Julian F, Ehlers Cindy L Association between nocturnal vagal tone and sleep depth, sleep
quality, and fatigue in alcohol dependence..
Psychosomatic medicine.
2006; 68(1):
159-66.
Motivala Sarosh J, Levin Myron J, Oxman Michael N, Irwin Michael R Impairments in health functioning and sleep quality in older adults
with a history of depression..
Journal of the American Geriatrics Society.
2006; 54(8):
1184-91.
Motivala Sarosh J, Sarfatti Avishay, Olmos Luis, Irwin Michael R Inflammatory markers and sleep disturbance in major depression..
Psychosomatic medicine.
2005; 67(2):
187-94.
Cole Jason C, Motivala Sarosh J, Khanna Dinesh, Lee Jessica Y, Paulus Harold E, Irwin Michael R Validation of single-factor structure and scoring protocol for the
Health Assessment Questionnaire-Disability Index..
Arthritis and rheumatism.
2005; 53(4):
536-42.
Irwin Michael, Rinetti Gina, Redwine Laura, Motivala Sarosh, Dang Jeff, Ehlers Cindy Nocturnal proinflammatory cytokine-associated sleep disturbances in
abstinent African American alcoholics..
Brain, behavior, and immunity.
2004; 18(4):
349-60.
Motivala Sarosh J, Dang Jeff, Obradovic Tanja, Meadows Gary G, Butch Anthony W, Irwin Michael R Leptin and cellular and innate immunity in abstinent alcoholics and
controls..
Alcoholism, clinical and experimental research.
2003; 27(11):
1819-24.
Motivala Sarosh J, Hurwitz Barry E, Llabre Maria M, Klimas Nancy G, Fletcher Mary Ann, Antoni Michael H, LeBlanc William G, Schneiderman Neil Psychological distress is associated with decreased memory helper
T-cell and B-cell counts in pre-AIDS HIV seropositive men and women
but only in those with low viral load..
Psychosomatic medicine.
2003; 65(4):
627-35.
