Sleep News and Research

Latest Sleep News and Research

Prolonged exercise shows no evidence of cardiac fatigue: Research

In a research project aimed at understanding the effect of prolonged exercise on the heart, the Karolinska Institutet and the Swedish School of Sport and Health Sciences studied a group of competitors taking part in the Adventure Racing World Championship. The results show no evidence of cardiac fatigue despite the fact that this is a continuous endurance event lasting between five and seven days.

31 Aug 2010

Tapentadol ER improves average intensity of chronic osteoarthritis knee pain: Study

Phase 3 safety and efficacy data comparing tapentadol extended release (ER) tablets, an investigational pain medication, to placebo in patients with moderate to severe chronic osteoarthritis knee pain have been published by Clinical Drug Investigation.

31 Aug 2010

Smoked cannabis relieves chronic neuropathic pain

The medicinal use of cannabis has been debated by clinicians, researchers, legislators and the public at large for many years as an alternative to standard pharmaceutical treatments for pain, which may not always be effective and may have unwanted side effects. A new study by McGill University Health Centre (MUHC) and McGill University researchers provides evidence that cannabis may offer relief to patients suffering from chronic neuropathic pain.

30 Aug 2010

Covidien completes sale of Sleep Therapy CPAP, Bi-level products to PH Invest

Covidien, a leading global provider of healthcare products, today announced that it has completed the previously announced sale of its Sleep Therapy continuous positive airway pressure and Bi-level products to PH Invest, a privately held company located in Luxembourg. Financial terms of the transaction were not disclosed.

30 Aug 2010

Latest achievements in brain research and treatment for mental disorders

Mental disorders, such as depression, anxiety disorders, addiction and schizophrenia are the core challenge of most health care systems around the world. In the EU alone, each year 27% of the total adult population - this corresponds to 83 Million citizens - suffer from mental disorders. Depression alone affects almost 20 million ranking in the EU as the most disabling disorder of all diseases.

30 Aug 2010

23rd ECNP Press conference on impact of circadian rhythms on human brain

All humans are synchronised to the rhythmic light-dark changes that occur on a daily basis. Rhythms in physiological and biochemical processes and behavioural patterns persist in the absence of all external 24-hour signals from the physical environment, with a period that is close to 24 hours

30 Aug 2010

Researchers find smoked cannabis reduces chronic neuropathic pain

For people suffering chronic pain, smoked cannabis reduces pain, improves mood and helps sleep, according to new research published in CMAJ.

30 Aug 2010

Scientist suggests guidelines to safeguard physical health in college

College can be some of the best years of a person's life. But it is also a critical time, a time when students need to be aware of their health and safety. For women, many on their own for the first time in their lives, developing the ability to safeguard their emotional and physical health is paramount.

30 Aug 2010

Cigarettes as mood enhancers increase risk of depression

While some teenagers may puff on cigarettes to 'self-medicate' against the blues, scientists at the University of Toronto and the University of Montreal have found that smoking may actually increase depressive symptoms in some adolescents. Published in the journal Addictive Behaviors, the findings are part of the long-term Nicotine Dependence in Teens (NDIT) study based at the University of Montreal Hospital Research Centre.

27 Aug 2010

Victhom second-quarter revenues decrease 94.4% to $27,901

Victhom Human Bionics Inc. today reported its second quarter 2010 financial results.

27 Aug 2010

Exmovere to release vital sign monitoring infant sleepwear

Exmovere Holdings, Inc., a biomedical engineering company, today announced plans to release vital sign monitoring infant sleepwear. Exmovere is in the advanced stages of taking to market a washable, conductive fabric-based biosensor pajama called "Exmobaby." Exmobaby is the first-ever baby garment developed for remote monitoring of heart rate, emotional state and behavior.

27 Aug 2010

Traumatic brain injury causes $6.8 billion worth of economic trauma in Texas

Each year in Texas, traumatic brain injury (TBI) causes an estimated $6.8 billion worth of economic trauma in terms of deaths, emergency room visits, hospitalizations and disability, according to a study commissioned by the CORE Health Foundation. To put that dollar amount in perspective, it equals Coca-Cola's corporate profit for fiscal 2009.

27 Aug 2010

Most home care clients rely on informal care from spouse or child

One in six people providing informal care to seniors experiences distress, according to a new study released today by the Canadian Institute for Health Information (CIHI), and those caring for seniors with moderate to severe cognitive impairment, such as those with Alzheimer's or other dementia, are most at risk.

27 Aug 2010

'Neural inertia' may explain brain's resistance to changes in consciousness

Despite the fact that an estimated 25 million patients per year in the U.S. undergo surgeries using general anesthesia, scientists have only been able to hypothesize exactly how anesthetics interact with the central nervous system. They previously thought that the processes of "going under" and waking up from anesthesia affected the brain in the same way.

27 Aug 2010

Researchers recommend traumatic brain injury reclassification for additional funding

Traumatic brain injury, currently considered a singular event by the insurance industry and many health care providers, is instead the beginning of an ongoing process that impacts multiple organ systems and may cause or accelerate other diseases and disorders that can reduce life expectancy, according to research from the University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston.

27 Aug 2010

Battery of tests for quick assessment of cognitive abilities in Down syndrome patients

Neuroscientists in the Down Syndrome Research Group at the University of Arizona have created a battery of tests that quickly aid in the assessment of the cognitive abilities of persons with Down syndrome.

27 Aug 2010

Vanda Pharmaceuticals initiates tasimelteon Phase III clinical trial for Non-24-Hour Sleep Wake Disorder

Vanda Pharmaceuticals Inc., today announced it has initiated a Phase III clinical trial to evaluate tasimelteon in patients with Non-24-Hour Sleep Wake Disorder (N24HSWD), a condition experienced primarily by totally blind individuals that results in abnormal night sleep patterns and chronic daytime sleepiness.

26 Aug 2010

23rd European College of Neuropsychopharmacology Congress to be held 28 Aug - 1 Sep 2010 in Amsterdam

26 Aug 2010

Affordable Care Act that mandates free preventative services goes into effect in September

Starting in September, President Obama's Affordable Care Act will go into effect. The act mandates free preventative services such as cholesterol or breast cancer screenings and tetanus shots. But the question is, will doctors and patients take advantage of these new preventative services? "Unfortunately, thanks to our American healthcare system, we have been programmed to focus on treatment and not prevention," said Dr. David Samadi, a urologic oncologist specializing in prostate cancer treatment and robotic surgery, who is also the Chief of Robotics and Minimally Invasive Surgery at The Mount Sinai Medical Center in New York City.

26 Aug 2010

MIT's Technology Review announces 2010 TR35 annual list of young innovators

MIT's Technology Review today announced the 2010 TR35, its annual list of 35 outstanding men and women under the age of 35 who exemplify the spirit of innovation in business and technology. This year's winners have created innovations over a wide variety of fields, including energy, biomedicine, communications, IT, transportation, and the Web.

26 Aug 2010