Sleep-Wake Disorders

sleep apnea

Huntington disease, neurogenetics, George Sumner Huntington, Systematic Evaluation of Treatments for Huntington's Disease, Alzheimer disease, Parkinson disease, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis

Pediatric neurology, influenza, immunization, light therapy, depression, sleep, multiple sclerosis

Patients with Alzheimer's disease may suffer the same age- and disease-related changes to sleep as their age-matched peers. However, as the dementia progresses, even more severe disturbances develop, with impairments in both nighttime sleep continuity and daytime alertness. This article focuses on long-term, holistic approaches to treatment, including environmental and behavioral interventions to augment sleep medications.

There is growing epidemiologic and clinical data that confirm progressive hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal hypofunctioning in aging men. What role does the HPG axis play in the complex psychobiology of male sexual and affective disorders? The treatment rationale, clinical indications and risks in using exogenous testosterone for late-life depression are explored.

Seasonal affective disorder affects 1% to 3% of the North American population. Evidence exists for the efficacy of high-intensity bright, fluorescent light. Pharmacological management with SSRIs has shown equivalent efficacy to light therapy. How can these two therapies be combined? What other therapies are available?

restless legs syndrome, Parkinson disease, ADHD

Delirium,Dementia

Restraints and seclusion have been used for many years in emergency departments (EDs) and psychiatric emergency services (PESs), but anecdotal case reports and newspaper investigations as well as clinical advances have led to restrictions in their use.

An estimated 18,500 cases of primary cancer of the brain and CNS will be diagnosed this year, according to the American Cancer Society (Cancer Facts and Figures 2005;

Sildenafil (Viagra, Pfizer) may help patients recover from stroke by aiding regeneration of brain cells. After successfully proving that the drug stimulates cortical neurogenesis in experimental models of stroke, researchers from the Henry Ford Hospital in Detroit have now embarked on a clinical trial of sildenafil and plan to recruit 84 patients who have suffered a moderate stroke within 72 hours of entering the study.

Levodopa (l-dopa) and dopamine agonists are the main treatment for Parkinson disease (PD), but these therapies are of limited value in the long course of the illness because they counter a neurotransmitter deficit but do not halt neurodegeneration. In this main article and in an accompanying story, we offer an update on the status of Parkinson treatments today.

Christopher Reeve’s death this past October from cardiac complications after infection resulting from pressure ulcers is a reminder that patients with spinal cord injury (SCI) are more than their motility impairments. According to the Annual Statistical Report of the National Spinal Cord Injury Statistical Center (NSCISC), published last June, of 3312 patients for whom the cause of death was known, nearly 22% died of respiratory system diseases, 9% of infective and parasitic diseases, 8% of hypertensive and ischemic heart diseases, and 13% of other heart disease.

Although light therapy is an old treatment, new therapeutic uses are being researched. What is the optimal time and strength of light treatment to best help patients with depressive disorders?

As society and the definition of family in the West changes, fathers in the 21st century face emotional and psychological obstacles to a healthy parent-child relationship. This article examines professional interventions and other resources that can help prepare fathers to be effective parents.

After reading this article, you will be familiar with:The function of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenalaxis and the significance of cortisolin the etiology of depression.

In modern practice, psychiatrists will invariably have patients who come from different ethnic or cultural backgrounds. Practitioners will need to consider socioeconomic status, diet, use of herbal medications and immigration status, as well as patients' own self-perception of ethnicity, in assessing patients and planning treatment.

espite the fact that about 30% of our life is spent sleeping and decades of research have been spent on sleep, we still do not know its real function. What we do know is lack of sleep can have serious implications, such as increased risk of depressive disorders, impaired breathing and heart disease. On the other hand, nighttime sleep disturbance is usually followed by excessive daytime sleepiness that is associated with delayed problems like memory deficits and impaired social and occupational function, and immediate consequences such as car accidents (Kupfer and Reynolds, 1997; Roehrs and Roth, 1995).

The use of alternative treatments--like acupuncture, homeopathy, herbs, dietary supplements--for postpartum depression is becoming widespread. Dr. Hendrick discusses the benefits and risks of these alternative treatments and research that is being done to ensure their safety for new mothers

While the deaths of several students have figured prominently in recent news, studies show that college students actually have a lower rate of suicide than their nonstudent peers. What can be done to lower suicide rates even further?

Many patients, particularly those living in colder climates, can suffer from seasonal affective disorder (SAD). What causes SAD and what are the treatment options for these patients?

College students are far less likely to kill themselves than are nonstudent peers, according to a 10-year research study examining suicide rates at 12 Midwestern campuses.

One more mouth rimmed in charcoal after an OD screams for release: to probe the night for the man who left her. No one pretends an interest: at 4 a.m. it's too late to care.

A case history illustrates the need to consider psychosocial approaches to treating postpartum depression.

While progress in identifying the specific genetic variations that help determine an individual's vulnerability to addiction has been slow, a great deal has been uncovered about delineating the role that numerous genes and their protein products play in mediating the development of addiction.