Sleep News and Research

Latest Sleep News and Research

Pregnant women are at higher risk for restless legs syndrome

Pregnant women are at higher risk for the occurrence or worsening of restless legs syndrome (RLS), a movement disorder that affects up to 10 percent of the general population, according to a study reported in the September 28 issue of Neurology, the scientific journal of the American Academy of Neurology.

27 Sep 2004

Opiate abuse may alter brain neurons making brain more sensitive to stress

If the research proves applicable to humans, the findings may help explain how hospital patients who have received morphine may be susceptible to stress disorder, attention problems and sleep disturbances.

27 Sep 2004

New drug application to market ramelteon for insomnia

Takeda Global Research & Development Center announced today that it has submitted a new drug application (NDA) to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to market ramelteon (TAK-375), its investigational drug for insomnia.

26 Sep 2004

Histamine is key to narcolepsy

Narcolepsy is a disorder of sleep regulation that affects control of wakefulness and sleep and renders the patient subject to disabling sleepiness during the day.

23 Sep 2004

Increase in cases of pertussis (whooping cough) in Indiana

Pertussis is a contagious illness caused by bacteria. It occurs in infants and young children more often than older children and adults. Adults with milder, undiagnosed symptoms can transmit the disease to infants and children.

20 Sep 2004

Oral appliances effective in treating obstructive sleep apnea

Obstructive sleep apnea syndrome (OSAS) is a disorder characterized by repeated episodes of reductions or cessation in breathing during sleep. Millions of Americans, both men and women, have this medical problem

18 Sep 2004

Botox injections may ease the irritation of tinnitus

A preliminary study indicates that Botox injections may ease the irritation of tinnitus, otherwise know as ringing in the ears, for some patients. Researchers say more study is needed, but initial results are promising.

18 Sep 2004

Adenotonsillectomy resolves child sleep disorders

Within the last ten years, the primary reason that children have had surgery to remove their tonsils and adenoids is not infection but obstructive sleep apnea.

18 Sep 2004

Significant relationships between laryngopharyngeal reflux and upper airway sensory impairment

Medical researchers have long suspected a relationship between gastro-esophageal reflux disease (GERD) and obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), two medical conditions which can have a deleterious effect on a patient¡¯s quality of life.

17 Sep 2004

Researchers find palatal implants provide effective snoring relief

Researchers find that inserting three matchstick sized pieces of polyester material in the upper palate is a simple, low cost, and easily tolerated office procedure that provides effective snoring relief.

17 Sep 2004

Study compares cheap take-home sleep test to expensive polysomnography test

Diagnosis of obstructive sleep apnea usually involves polysomnograpy, an overnight sleep test in a sleep clinic or lab. Results of a new study indicate that a take-home sleep test is just as effective as a polysomnography and is less expensive while providing timely results.

17 Sep 2004

Study compares coblation tonsillectomy to traditional method of removing tonsils

Tonsillectomy remains one of the most common childhood surgeries with an increasing number of the surgeries being done to treat obstructive sleep apnea or sleep disordered breathing.

17 Sep 2004

Well-rested, refreshed doctors are as important for patient well-being as awake and alert pilots are for safe aviation

Vital rest rooms for junior doctors have been reopened following a sit-in by doctors and pressure from the BMA.

17 Sep 2004

Two scoops of reading in the morning will improve children's literacy

Adjusting schedules to add reading time before or after breakfast will allow parents to make use of time when children are ready to learn rather than fall asleep, says Claudia McVicker, an assistant professor of elementary education in Ball State's Teachers College.

16 Sep 2004

Prozac, Paxil, Wellbutrin, Zoloft, Celexa, Effexor, Luvox and Remeron should have "Black Box" warnings

A panel of experts has voted 15 to 8 in favour of the Federal Food and Drug Administration (FDA) adding black box warnings to certain medications used to treat depression in children and teenagers.

14 Sep 2004

67 percent of older Americans report trouble sleeping

Sleep for people over 55 often involves waking up several times during the night, not being able to get back to sleep and waking up earlier than desired in the morning.

14 Sep 2004

Health problems among timber workers exposed to industry chemical PCP are to be investigated

The project, funded by the Ministry of Health, aims to ascertain whether timber workers exposed to the PCPs (pentachlorophenols) are dying earlier, getting cancers more often and suffering more chronic health problems, including fatigue, nausea and neuropsychological dysfunction.

13 Sep 2004

Area of brain crucial for the generation of dreams

In a study published September 10, 2004, in the online edition of the Annals of Neurology, scientists describe a patient who lost all dreaming, and very little else, following a stroke in one distinct region of the brain, suggesting that this area is crucial for the generation of dreams.

10 Sep 2004

Chemical pathways of serotonin in the nervous system pave way for future pharmaceutical treatments for depression

From mollusks to mammals, newly discovered chemical pathways of serotonin in the nervous system are paving a path toward future pharmaceutical treatments for depression and other disorders.

10 Sep 2004

The drug galantamine has been shown to be ineffective in treating chronic fatigue syndrome

The drug galantamine (used for treatment of mild to moderate dementia) did not demonstrate a clinical benefit in treating chronic fatigue syndrome when compared with placebo, according to a study in the September 8 issue of JAMA.

8 Sep 2004