Sleep Disorder News and Research

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A sleep disorder (somnipathy) is a medical disorder of the sleep patterns of a person or animal. Some sleep disorders are serious enough to interfere with normal physical, mental and emotional functioning. A test commonly ordered for some sleep disorders is the polysomnogram.

1,000 strains of mice that feature the genetic diversity of the world population

Mice that are part of the Collaborative Cross project at Oak Ridge National Laboratory are helping scientists around the world learn more about possible causes of drug abuse, diabetes, sleep disorders, stress and pain, kidney disease and a number of other conditions that affect millions of people.

30 Aug 2007

Genial bone advancement trephine effective treatiment for sleep apnea

Sleep disorder and ear, nose and throat specialists at Thomas Jefferson University are examining an innovative procedure to treat obstructive sleep apnea syndrome.

29 Aug 2007

Restless legs syndrome common and troublesome in children and adolescents

Restless legs syndrome is a common problem in children 8 years of age and older in the United States and the United Kingdom, according to a new report from an international team of researchers.

24 Aug 2007

New coalition to tackle sleep disorders in older adults

In an effort to ensure the proper care of older adults with sleep disorders, the International Longevity Center-USA (ILC-USA) has announced the formation of a national coalition to develop comprehensive guidelines on how to diagnose and manage sleep disorders in older adults.

16 Aug 2007

Insulin Resistance Syndrome could be key to preventing cardiovascular disease, cancer, diabetes and Alzheimer's

New and important evidence shows that Insulin Resistance Syndrome can lead to elevated risk for cardiovascular disease, breathing and sleep disorders, liver disease, Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome, type 2 diabetes, certain cancers, Alzheimer's Disease and more.

3 Aug 2007

Violence associated with disorders of arousal

Disorders of arousal (i.e., sleepwalking, confusional arousals and sleep terrors) have sometimes been associated with violent behaviors against other individuals.

3 Aug 2007

Modafinil under study for bipolar disorder

A preliminary study of 85 patients with bipolar disorder shows that a drug used to treat patients with sleep disorders might also control the depressive symptoms associated with bipolar disorder.

3 Aug 2007

Rotating shift workers have lower levels of serotonin

People who work rotating shifts have significantly lower levels of serotonin, a hormone and neurotransmitter in the central nervous system believed to play an important role in the regulation of sleep, according to a study published in the August 1st issue of the journal SLEEP.

3 Aug 2007

Persons with narcolepsy with cataplexy have low levels of protein thought to help regulate sleep

Persons with narcolepsy with cataplexy have low levels of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) hypocretin-1, a protein thought to help regulate sleep and wakefulness, according to a study published in the August 1st issue of the journal SLEEP.

2 Aug 2007

Methylphenidate improves vigilance performance of ADHD children with poor sleep

WESTCHESTER, Ill. -- In the first known study of its kind, an article published in the August 1st issue of the journal SLEEP finds that children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), and whose sleep efficiency is poor, experience significant improvement on some measures of the Continuous Performance Test (CPT) if they are treated with methylphenidate (MPH).

2 Aug 2007

Medications frequently used to treat children with sleep difficulties

WESTCHESTER, Ill. -- Physicians frequently prescribe medications for sleep difficulties in children in U.S. outpatient settings, according to a study published in the August 1st issue of the journal SLEEP.

2 Aug 2007

Biological markers of narcolepsy

The first report to identify the biological markers of narcolepsy using gene expression in white blood cells finds that the MX2 gene, which is relevant to the immune system, is significantly less expressed in narcoleptics compared with normal subjects.

2 Aug 2007

Restless legs gene found

An international team of researchers has identified the first gene associated with Restless Legs Syndrome (RLS), a common sleep disorder affecting tens of millions of people worldwide.

19 Jul 2007

Older women with memory problems at higher risk of sleep disorders

Older women experiencing memory loss are more likely than women without cognitive decline to have problems falling asleep and staying asleep, according to a study published in the July 17, 2007, issue of Neurology ®, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology.

17 Jul 2007

Chronic insomnia can lead to anxiety and depression

Everyone has an occasional night of bad sleep. For most people, insomnia lasts only a few days and goes away without treatment.

4 Jul 2007

People with narcolepsy have a high frequency of REM sleep without muscle atonia

Normal rapid eye movement (REM) sleep is characterized by tonic features, including cortical electroencephalogram (EEG) desynchronization and muscle atonia, as well as phasic events, including bursts of REM, phasic activities of both chin and limb electromyography (EMG), and cardiorespiratory variability.

4 Jul 2007

New pediatric sleep lab in upstate New York

The Pediatric Sleep Medicine Offices, the first pediatric sleep lab in upstate New York , has started doing overnight studies in its new location in Clinton Crossings.

19 Jun 2007

Sleep-related breathing disorder common among aggressive kids

Aggressive behavior and bullying, common among schoolchildren, are likely to have multiple causes, one of which may be an undiagnosed sleep-related breathing disorder (SRBD), according to a research abstract presented at SLEEP 2007, the 21st Annual Meeting of the Associated Professional Sleep Societies (APSS).

18 Jun 2007

Imagery rehearsal therapy helps insomniacs

In a study that insomniacs may find welcoming, imagery rehearsal therapy (IRT) has been shown to subjectively improve their ability to get a good night's sleep, according to research presented at SLEEP 2007, the 21st Annual Meeting of the Associated Professional Sleep Societies (APSS).

17 Jun 2007