Sleep News and Research

Latest Sleep News and Research

Essential criteria for clinical diagnosis of restless legs syndrome

We've all experienced abnormal sensations in our legs at one time or another, but for as many as 10 percent of the US population, restless legs syndrome (RLS) is a daily occurrence. Characterized by throbbing, pulling, tingling, itching, and crawling sensations, RLS is a neurological disorder that produces unpleasant physical sensations in the extremities and an urge to counteract that sensation by movement.

21 Jul 2011

Humans and zebrafish share mechanisms that regulate the circadian system

Circadian rhythms - the natural cycle that dictates our biological processes over a 24-hour day - does more than tell us when to sleep or wake. Disruptions in the cycle are also associated with depression, problems with weight control, jet lag and more. Now Prof. Yoav Gothilf of Tel Aviv University's Department of Neurobiology at the George S. Wise Faculty of Life Sciences is looking to the common zebrafish to learn more about how the human circadian system functions.

21 Jul 2011

VIVUS to present topiramate exposure, birth defect data at IEC

VIVUS, Inc. today announced that on August 31, 2011, during the late breaking poster session at the 29th International Epilepsy Congress in Rome, Italy, Dr. Alison Pack, Associate Professor of Clinical Neurology, Department of Neurology, Columbia University Medical Center, will present the results of a retrospective study of medical claims data on oral clefts (OC) and major congenital malformations (MCMs) associated with in utero topiramate exposure.

20 Jul 2011

New insights into sleep difficulties among older people

A new study of the brain's master circadian clock - known as the suprachiasmatic nucleus, or SCN - reveals that a key pattern of rhythmic neural activity begins to decline by middle age. The study, whose senior author is UCLA Chancellor Gene Block, may have implications for the large number of older people who have difficulty sleeping and adjusting to time changes.

20 Jul 2011

Ventus Medical launches Provent Sleep Apnea Therapy in India

Ventus Medical is pleased to announce the Indian launch of its proprietary Provent Sleep Apnea Therapy, an innovative, non-invasive treatment for obstructive sleep apnea.

20 Jul 2011

Regular physical activity may reduce rates of cognitive impairment in older adults

Engaging in regular physical activity is associated with less decline in cognitive function in older adults, according to two studies published Online First by Archives of Internal Medicine, one of the JAMA/Archives journals.

20 Jul 2011

Patients who use anti-depressants more likely to suffer relapses

Patients who use anti-depressants are much more likely to suffer relapses of major depression than those who use no medication at all, concludes a McMaster researcher.

20 Jul 2011

Family members, dementia patients can benefit from adult day care services

Adult day care services significantly reduce the stress levels of family caregivers of older adults with dementia, according to a team of Penn State and Virginia Tech researchers.

19 Jul 2011

Study looks at bed-sharing and effect on child behavior

According to a new study parents who let their toddlers sleep in the same bed as them are not slowing their learning and behavior development.

19 Jul 2011

Bedsharing in toddlerhood does not negatively affect children's behavior and cognition

A study led by Lauren Hale, Ph.D., Associate Professor of Preventive Medicine, Stony Brook University School of Medicine, concludes that there do not appear to be any negative associations between bedsharing in toddlerhood and children's behavior and cognition at age 5.

18 Jul 2011

Dehaier, Taiyo-Shanghai and Beijing Orient open filling facility for home oxygen therapy service

Dehaier Medical Systems Ltd., an emerging leader in the development, assembly, marketing and sale of medical devices and homecare medical products in China, today announced the opening of its first oxygen filling facility and first service center for home oxygen therapy service in Beijing, China.

18 Jul 2011

Positive results from levomilnacipran Phase III study for major depressive disorder

Forest Laboratories, Inc. and Pierre Fabre Medicament today announced preliminary top-line results from a Phase III study of levomilnacipran for the treatment of adults with major depressive disorder (MDD).

18 Jul 2011

Transcept decreases workforce following FDA news on Intermezzo NDA

Transcept Pharmaceuticals, Inc. announced today plans to reduce operating expenses by eliminating approximately 45% of its workforce following notification from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) that the resubmitted New Drug Application (NDA) for Intermezzo, the company's lead product candidate, cannot be approved in its present form.

16 Jul 2011

Lap Band surgery less expensive than other obesity-related treatments

By being safe, minimally invasive, and extremely effective, the Lap Band has become one of the most accessible means for obese individuals with a BMI of 35 or higher to shed their excess weight and lead healthier lives.

16 Jul 2011

First round of financing could make the intelligent bed a reality

At the end of May 2011, two "business angels" and a banking institute invested one million Swiss francs in Michael Sauter's company -compliant concept-. The successful end to this first round of financing is a milestone for the mechanical engineer and young entrepreneur. "This means that the intelligent bed can now become a reality," he says, joyfully.

15 Jul 2011

Transcept receives FDA Complete Response Letter for Intermezzo NDA

Transcept Pharmaceuticals, Inc. announced today that it has received a Complete Response Letter from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) regarding the resubmitted New Drug Application (NDA) for Intermezzo.

15 Jul 2011

New paper provides unique review on respiratory disorders in the Middle East

Lung diseases in the Middle East range from the centuries-old pulmonary tuberculosis (TB) to modern manifestations caused by chemical warfare. A new paper now available in Respirology, a journal of the Asian Pacific Society of Respirology, provides pulmonologists and patients with the first comprehensive review of respiratory illnesses specific to the Persian Gulf region, and the challenges in treating them.

14 Jul 2011

Proteus receives U.S. patent for ingestible digital devices

Proteus Biomedical Inc., a pioneer in intelligent medicine, announced today that the United States Patent Office awarded U.S. Patent Number 7,978,064 to Proteus.

14 Jul 2011

Multiple studies find no consensus on kava-induced hepatotoxicity in Western countries

A major new review of scientific knowledge on kava - a plant used to make dietary supplements and a trendy drink with calming effects - has left unsolved the mystery of why Pacific Island people can consume it safely, while people in the United States, Europe, and other Western cultures sometimes experience toxic effects. The article appears in ACS' journal Chemical Research in Toxicology.

14 Jul 2011

Wireless power system for ventricular assist devices holds promise

Mechanical pumps to give failing hearts a boost were originally developed as temporary measures for patients awaiting a heart transplant. But as the technology has improved, these ventricular assist devices commonly operate in patients for years, including in former vice-president Dick Cheney, whose implant this month celebrates its one-year anniversary.

13 Jul 2011