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Ann Clin Transl Neurol 2020 Jun 20;7(6):924-931. Epub 2020 May 20.

Sleep-Wake Disorders Unit, Department of Neurology, Gui-de-Chauliac Hospital, CHU Montpellier, Montpellier, France.

Objectives: To investigate whether cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) and serum ferritin levels differ between patients with narcolepsy type 1 (NT1) comorbid with restless legs syndrome (RLS) or periodic leg movements during sleep (PLMS), and patients with NT1 or controls without comorbid RLS or PLMS.

Methods: Sixty-six drug-free patients with NT1 (44 males, age 38.5 years [14-81]) were enrolled, including 20 with RLS, 18 with PLMS index ≥15/h (six with both RLS and PLMS). Read More

J Drug Assess 2020 4;9(1):82-86. Epub 2020 Apr 4.

Chronic Respiratory Diseases Research Center (CRDRC), National Research Institute of Tuberculosis and Lung Diseases (NRITLD, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.

In critically ill patients, sleep is generally interrupted. Some factors that lead to such sleep interruption include the intensive care unit (ICU) circumstance, primary medical disease itself, mental stress, and impacts of many drugs and other managements utilized to treat ICU patients. Another illness that may cause profound daytime somnolence is narcolepsy. Read More

Front Neurol 2020 8;11:209. Epub 2020 Apr 8.

Department of Neurology, Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Peking Union Medical College and Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Beijing, China.

Previous studies have indicated that non-motor symptoms are primary problems in focal dystonia, but limited data are available about non-motor problems and their correlation with motor severity in generalized dystonia (GD). In the present study, we performed a case-control study and enrolled isolated inherited or idiopathic GD patients and age- and sex-matched healthy controls (HC). Clinical characteristics, motor symptoms, non-motor problems, including psychiatric co-morbidity, sleep problems, fatigue, and quality of life (QoL) were assessed in both groups using various rating scales and assessments. Read More

Muscle Nerve 2020 Mar 25. Epub 2020 Mar 25.

Department of Molecular Genetics & Microbiology, Center for NeuroGenetics, UF Genetics Institute, University of Florida College of Medicine, Gainesville, Florida.

Myotonic dystrophies (DM), the most common muscular dystrophies, are known to have significant sleep disturbances. We analyzed the literature on sleep and excessive daytime sleepiness (EDS) in DM over the past 30 years. In this review we provide a brief overview of sleep, sleep disorders, and methods of assessment. Read More

Sleep Med 2020 Jul 19;71:113-121. Epub 2020 Feb 19.

Department of Neurology, Christian Doppler Klinik, Paracelsus Medical University, Salzburg, Austria; Centre for Cognitive Neurosciences Salzburg, Salzburg, Austria; University for Medical Informatics and Health Technology, UMIT, Hall in Tirol, Austria.

In this review, we aimed at identifying the studies that have employed repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) in patients with sleep disorders. Low-frequency (LF) rTMS stimulating the right dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) or the posterior parietal cortex (PPC) was found to be effective to reduce cortical hyperexcitability and improve the sleep quality in subjects with chronic primary insomnia (PI). Both high-frequency (HF) and LF rTMS applied over the primary motor cortex or the supplementary motor cortex seem to have transient beneficial effects in patients with restless legs syndrome (RLS). Read More

Neuroscientist 2020 Feb 28:1073858420905829. Epub 2020 Feb 28.

Brain and Mind Institute, Western University, London, Ontario, Canada.

Advances in neuroimaging open up the possibility for new powerful tools to be developed that potentially can be applied to clinical populations to improve the diagnosis of neurological disorders, including sleep disorders. At present, the diagnosis of narcolepsy and primary hypersomnias is largely limited to subjective assessments and objective measurements of behavior and sleep physiology. In this review, we focus on recent neuroimaging findings that provide insight into the neural basis of narcolepsy and the primary hypersomnias Kleine-Levin syndrome and idiopathic hypersomnia. Read More

Eur Psychiatry 2020 Feb 12;63(1):e12. Epub 2020 Feb 12.

Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, University of Alcalá, Alcalá de Henares, Madrid, Spain.

Background.: Distinguishing prodromes of bipolar disorder (BD) specific to children/adolescents, adults, and elderly patients is essential. The primary objective of this systematic review was to determine initial and relapse prodromes identifying adult patients with BD. Read More

Am J Kidney Dis 2020 05 23;75(5):782-792. Epub 2020 Jan 23.

Division of Sleep Medicine, Department of Medicine at the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA.

Daytime sleepiness, also known as hypersomnolence, is common among patients receiving maintenance dialysis and following successful kidney transplantation. Sleepiness may be secondary to medical comorbid conditions, medication side effect, insufficient sleep syndrome, and sleep-disordered breathing or the result of a primary central disorder of hypersomnolence, such as narcolepsy. Unrecognized and untreated sleep disorders are associated with substantial morbidity and mortality among patients with end-stage kidney disease. Read More

J Clin Sleep Med 2019 09;15(9):1365-1367

Department of Medicine, Joan C. Edwards School of Medicine, Marshall University, Huntington, West Virginia.

None: Excessive daytime sleepiness (EDS) is one of the leading reasons that patients present to sleep clinics. Approximately 10% to 14% of the adults report that excessive sleepiness interferes with their daily lives. Common causes of EDS include obstructive sleep apnea, sleep deprivation, circadian rhythm disorders, medication effects, psychiatric conditions especially depression, and primary hypersomnia such as narcolepsy or central idiopathic hypersomnia. Read More

Sleep 2019 10;42(11)

Bioprojet, 9, rue Rameau, Paris, France.

Study Objectives: To asses the long-term safety and efficacy of pitolisant, an histamine H3-receptor antagonist, on narcolepsy.

Methods: This open-label, single-arm, pragmatic study, recruited adult patients with narcolepsy and Epworth Sleepiness Scale (ESS) score ≥12. After a titration period, patients were treated for up to 1 year with oral pitolisant once-a-day at up to 40 mg. Read More

J Nurs Scholarsh 2019 Nov 16;51(6):624-633. Epub 2019 Sep 16.

Tau Xi and Alpha Lambda, Dean, College of Nursing, Professor of Biobehavioral and Health Science, College of Nursing, Professor of Nursing in the Department of Medicine, College of Medicine, Division of Pulmonary, Critical Care and Sleep Medicine, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA.

Purpose: This review (Part II of a series on sleep disorders) presents an update of the characteristics, epidemiology, assessment, and latest management of insomnia, restless legs syndrome (Willis-Ekbom disease; RLS/WED), and narcolepsy. Insomnia, the most common sleep disorder and most prevalent of all psychological health disorders, is a problem of difficulty initiating and maintaining sleep and early morning awakenings. RLS/WED is characterized by a crawling sensation or urge to move the legs in the evening and nighttime. Read More

Neurology 2019 10 30;93(15):e1425-e1432. Epub 2019 Aug 30.

From the Institute of Human Genomic Study (R.D.A., C.S.), Korea University College of Medicine, Ansan-si, Gyeonggi-do, South Korea; the Pacific Health Research and Education Institute (R.D.A., G.W.R., L.R.W., H.P.), Honolulu, HI; the Departments of Medicine (G.W.R.) and Pathology (J.H.U.-L.) and the John A. Hartford Foundation Center of Excellence in Geriatrics, Department of Geriatric Medicine (G.W.R., K.H.M., H.P.), John A. Burns School of Medicine, University of Hawaii, Honolulu; the Veterans Affairs Pacific Islands Health Care System (G.W.R., L.R.W., H.P.), Honolulu, HI; the Michael J. Crescenz Veterans Affairs Medical Center and the University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine (J.E.D.), Philadelphia; Kuakini Medical Center (K.H.M.), Honolulu, HI; the National Institute on Aging (L.J.L.), Bethesda, MD; and the San Francisco Veterans Affairs Medical Center and the Department of Neurology (C.M.T.), University of California-San Francisco.

Objective: While excessive daytime sleepiness (EDS) can predate the clinical diagnosis of Parkinson disease (PD), associations with underlying PD pathogenesis are unknown. Our objective is to determine if EDS is related to brain Lewy pathology (LP), a marker of PD pathogenesis, using clinical assessments of EDS with postmortem follow-up.

Methods: Identification of LP was based on staining for α-synuclein in multiple brain regions in a sample of 211 men. Read More

BMJ Open 2019 07 2;9(7):e029227. Epub 2019 Jul 2.

Department of Non-communicable Disease Epidemiology, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine Faculty of Epidemiology and Population Health, London, UK.

Objectives: To summarise the definitions and combinations of codes used to identify outcomes of anxiety, depression, fatigue, cognitive dysfunction (including mild cognitive dysfunction and dementia), sexual dysfunction, pain, sleep disorders, and fatal and non-fatal self-harm in studies using electronic health records from primary care databases in the UK.

Design: Systematic review.

Data Sources: Medline, Embase and lists of publications of the main primary care databases in the UK. Read More

Eur Respir J 2019 08 22;54(2). Epub 2019 Aug 22.

Pneumology Dept, Hospital Universitario y Politécnico La Fe, Valencia, Spain

The efficacy of continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) treatment in elderly patients with nonsevere obstructive sleep apnoea (OSA) is controversial. The objective of this study was to assess the effect of CPAP treatment in elderly patients with moderate OSA in terms of clinical, quality-of-life and neurocognitive measures.This was an open-label, randomised, multicentre clinical trial in 145 elderly patients (≥70 years old) with confirmed moderate OSA (apnoea-hypopnoea index 15-29. Read More

Ann Clin Transl Neurol 2019 02 20;6(2):210-221. Epub 2019 Jan 20.

Department of Neurology Changzheng Hospital The Second Military Medical University Shanghai China.

Objective: Cataplexy is a complicated and dynamic process in narcolepsy type 1 (NT1) patients. This study aimed to clarify the distinct stages during a cataplectic attack and identify the changes of the primary motor cortex (PMC) excitability during these stages.

Methods: Thirty-five patients with NT1 and 29 healthy controls were recruited to this study. Read More

Sleep Med 2019 04 28;56:80-89. Epub 2019 Jan 28.

Yale Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA. Electronic address:

Excessive daytime sleepiness (EDS) is a common complaint in the general population, which may be associated with a wide range of sleep disorders and other medical conditions. Narcolepsy is a sleep disorder characterized primarily by EDS, which involves a substantial burden of illness but is often overlooked or misdiagnosed. In addition to identifying low cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) hypocretin (orexin) levels, evaluation for narcolepsy requires in-laboratory polysomnography (PSG). Read More

Praxis (Bern 1994) 2019 Jan;108(2):131-138

2 Sleep and Health Zürich (SHZ), Universität Zürich.

Pharmacotherapy of Sleep-Wake Disorders Abstract. Sleep is a complex behavior, coordinated by many different brain regions and neurotransmitters. These neurochemical systems can be pharmacologically influenced to modulate wakefulness and sleep. Read More

J Alzheimers Dis 2019 ;67(3):911-921

University of California San Francisco, Memory and Aging Center, Weill Institute for the Neurosciences, San Francisco, CA, USA.

Background: Recent studies reveal an association between slow-wave sleep (SWS), amyloid-β aggregation, and cognition.

Objective: This retrospective study examines whether long-term use of trazodone, an SWS enhancer, is associated with delayed cognitive decline.

Methods: We identified 25 regular trazodone users (mean age 75. Read More

World Neurosurg 2019 Jan 22. Epub 2019 Jan 22.

Neurology and Neurosurgery Institute, Hospital Zambrano Hellion, TecSalud. Tecnologico de Monterrey. San Pedro Garza Garcia, Nuevo Leon, Mexico.

Intracranial germ cell tumors are a rare group of neoplasms constituting 1% to 2% of primary intracranial tumors in North America and Europe. Germinomas of the corpus callosum are exceedingly rare, accounting for only 0.7% of all intracranial germ cell tumors. Read More

Sleep 2019 04;42(4)

Norwegian Centre of Expertise for Neurodevelopmental Disorders and Hypersomnias, Department of Rare Disorders, Oslo University Hospital, Oslo, Norway.

Study Objectives: Several studies have reported psychiatric comorbidity in patients with narcolepsy type 1 (NC1). The primary aim of this study was to explore the extent of psychiatric symptoms in a cohort of Norwegian NC1 patients, most of whom were H1N1-vaccinated. We also wanted to explore possible causes of the psychiatric symptoms seen in NC1. Read More

Mo Med 2018 Nov-Dec;115(6):527-532

Madihah Hepburn, MD, Pradeep C. Bollu, MD, Pradeep Sahota, MD, MSMA member since 2003, and Brandi French, MD, are in the Department of Neurology, University of Missouri - Columbia.

Cerebrovascular disease encompassing both ischemic and hemorrhagic strokes are among the leading causes of disability and mortality globally. The current evidence strongly suggests that identifying and addressing sleep disorders should be a part of both primary and secondary stroke prevention. Stroke and sleep are 'bedfellows' since sleep disorders, including sleep-disordered breathing, parasomnias, sleep-related movement disorders, insomnia, and hypersomnia are intimately intertwined with co-morbid cardiovascular conditions and increase stroke risk. Read More

J Affect Disord 2019 03 18;246:659-666. Epub 2018 Dec 18.

Department of Psychiatry, Federal University of São Paulo, SP, Brazil; Mood Disorders Psychopharmacology Unit, University Health Network, Toronto, ON, Canada.

Background: Hypersomnia is a common problem amongst individuals with Bipolar Disorder (BD). The objective of this meta-analysis is to estimate the frequency of hypersomnia in individuals with BD, and identify associated factors METHODS: Our search focused on articles documenting the frequency of hypersomnia among individuals with BD indexed in PubMed database and in the Cochrane Library, following the recommendations from the Meta-Analysis Of Observational Studies in Epidemiology (MOOSE) Group. A meta-analysis of proportion was conducted; funnel plot and Egger's test were used for the assessment of publication bias. Read More

Neurol Sci 2019 Mar 12;40(3):447-456. Epub 2018 Dec 12.

IRCCS Istituto delle Scienze Neurologiche di Bologna, Bologna, Italy.

Objective: Narcolepsy is a lifelong disease, manifesting with excessive daytime sleepiness and cataplexy, arising between childhood and young adulthood. The diagnosis is typically made after a long delay that burdens the disease severity. The aim of the project, promoted by the "Associazione Italiana Narcolettici e Ipersonni" is to develop Red Flags to detect symptoms for early referral, targeting non-sleep medicine specialists, general practitioners, and pediatricians. Read More

Am J Respir Crit Care Med 2019 06;199(11):1421-1431

11 Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, Ohio.

Primary treatment of obstructive sleep apnea can be accompanied by a persistence of excessive sleepiness despite adherence. Furthermore, effectiveness of sleep apnea treatment is limited by poor adherence. Currently available pharmacologic options for the treatment of sleepiness in this population are limited. Read More

Chest 2018 11;154(5):e139-e142

Sleep Disorders Center, Neurologic Institute, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, OH.

Case Presentation: A 48-year-old athletic man with history of dyslipidemia and second-degree atrioventricular block (Mobitz type I 2:1 atrioventricular block) endorses sleep-related difficulties at his annual physical examination. Mobitz type I block was diagnosed 11 years earlier when the patient presented to his primary care physician with left-sided chest pain for 2 months. He was evaluated by cardiology, with a normal stress echocardiogram. Read More

Cochrane Database Syst Rev 2018 10 30;10:CD009622. Epub 2018 Oct 30.

Department of Neurology, Xuanwu Hospital, Capital Medical University, Changchun Street 45, Beijing, China, 100053.

Background: Gamma aminobutyric acid (GABA) receptor agonists have been shown to have a neuroprotectant effect in reducing infarct size and improving functional outcome in animal models of cerebrovascular disease. However, the sedative effects of GABA receptor agonists have limited their wider application in people with acute stroke, due to the potential risk of stupor. This is an update of a Cochrane Review first published in 2013, and previously updated in 2014 and 2016. Read More

Praxis (Bern 1994) 2018;107(21):1161-1167

1 Universitäres Schlaf-Wach-Epilepsie Zentrum des Inselspitals Bern.

Narcolepsy and Other 'Central Disorders of Hypersomnolence' Abstract. 'Excessive daytime sleepiness', 'hypersomnia' in the sense of prolonged sleep need, 'tiredness' or 'fatigue' are frequent complaints in primary care, requiring a careful separation in view of a correct diagnostic. After exclusion of various internistic and neurologic causes by clinical and laboratory investigations and after exclusion of sleep apnoea syndrome or other causes of disturbed sleep by polysomnography, the ambiguous group of 'Central Disorders of Hypersomnolence' remains, including narcolepsy with and without cataplexy, idiopathic hypersomnia, and non-organic hypersomnia. Read More

Sleep Med 2018 12 31;52:88-91. Epub 2018 Aug 31.

University of Bologna, Department of Psychology, Bologna, Italy.

Objective/background: It has been shown that actigraphy may have a discriminant function (DS) for the diagnosis of narcolepsy type 1 patients (NT1), based on a combination of nighttime and daytime parameters. Here, we aimed to test those findings using another actigraph model with a different clinical sample as control (ie, primary insomniacs, PI), carrying out a secondary analysis of previously collected data.

Patients/methods: The study sample consisted of 13 NT1 (nine females; mean age 39. Read More

Cochrane Database Syst Rev 2018 09 21;9:CD012555. Epub 2018 Sep 21.

Katharine House Hospice, Mandeville Road, Aynho Road, Adderbury, Banbury, UK, OX17 3NL.

Background: Olanzapine as an antiemetic represents a new use of an antipsychotic drug. People with cancer may experience nausea and vomiting whilst receiving chemotherapy or radiotherapy, or whilst in the palliative phase of illness.

Objectives: To assess the efficacy and safety of olanzapine when used as an antiemetic in the prevention and treatment of nausea and vomiting related to cancer in adults. Read More

Pediatr Neurol 2018 08 30;85:21-32. Epub 2018 Jun 30.

Division of Neurology, Boston Children's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Waltham, Massachusetts.

Background: Narcolepsy is a chronic and lifelong neurologic disorder with onset commonly occurring in childhood or adolescence, and affecting approximately 0.025% to 0.05% of the general population. Read More

Lancet Child Adolesc Health 2018 07 21;2(7):483-494. Epub 2018 May 21.

Stanford Center for Sleep Sciences and Medicine, Palo Alto, CA, USA.

Background: Narcolepsy is a lifelong neurological disorder with onset commonly in childhood or adolescence. No drugs are indicated for cataplexy and excessive daytime sleepiness in paediatric patients with narcolepsy. Sodium oxybate is approved for use in adult patients with excessive daytime sleepiness or cataplexy, or both, in narcolepsy. Read More

BMJ Case Rep 2018 Aug 27;2018. Epub 2018 Aug 27.

Department of Medicine (Oncology), Houston Methodist Hospital, Houston, Texas, USA.

A 37-year-old Hispanic man with a right atrial intracardiac mass diagnosed as diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) was successfully treated with surgery and chemotherapy. During 4 years, several total-body positron emission tomography and MRI scans showed no extracardiac lymphoma. On year 5 after the cardiac surgery, patient presented with sleepiness, hyperphagia, memory loss, confabulation, dementia and diabetes insipidus. Read More

J Head Trauma Rehabil 2019 Mar/Apr;34(2):122-131

School of Psychology (Drs Bogdanov and Lah) and Brain and Mind Centre and Charles Perkins Centre (Dr Naismith), University of Sydney, Camperdown, Australia; Rehab2Kids Rehabilitation Unit (Ms Brookes and Dr Epps) and Department of Sleep Medicine (Dr Teng), Sydney Children's Hospital, Randwick, Australia; School of Paediatrics and Women's Health, University of New South Wales, Kensington, Australia (Dr Teng); and ARC Centre of Excellence in Cognition and Its Disorders, Macquarie University, North Ryde, Australia (Dr Lah).

Objectives: To characterize the sleep disturbance in children with moderate or severe traumatic brain injury (TBI), and to identify associated factors.

Setting: An urban tertiary pediatric healthcare facility.

Participants: Children aged 5 to 15 years with a moderate TBI (n = 21), severe TBI (n = 23), or an orthopedic injury (OI; n =38) comparable in age, gender, and socioeconomic status. Read More

Front Neurol 2018 7;9:424. Epub 2018 Jun 7.

Division of Sleep Medicine and Neuromuscular Disorders, Department of Neurology, University Hospital Muenster, Muenster, Germany.

The vast majority of living organisms have evolved a circadian rhythm of roughly 24 h in adaptation to ever-changing environmental conditions, such as the cycle of light and darkness. In some sleep disorders like idiopathic hypersomnia (IH) this adaptation is defective. As the etiology of this disease is largely unknown, we examined the circadian period length of patients suffering from IH. Read More

Am J Respir Crit Care Med 2018 10;198(7):941-950

1 CIRUS, Centre for Sleep and Chronobiology, Woolcock Institute of Medical Research, University of Sydney, Sydney, Australia.

Rationale: Patients with obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) unable to tolerate standard treatments have few alternatives. They may benefit from weight loss, but the major symptom of daytime performance impairment may remain during weight loss programs.

Objectives: We hypothesized that wakefulness-promoter armodafinil would improve driving task performance over placebo in patients undergoing weight loss. Read More

J Can Acad Child Adolesc Psychiatry 2018 Apr 1;27(2):148-151. Epub 2018 Apr 1.

Department of Psychiatry, Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Ontario8.

Objective: To consider whether the concepts of tolerance and withdrawal to stimulant medications apply to a preadolescent female, affected by autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and treated for associated attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).

Methods: We describe the case history and review scientific English language literature pertaining to acute withdrawal effects associated with methylphenidate and amphetamine derivatives in children.

Results: An 11-year-old female with ASD and ADHD referred to our clinic experienced vomiting, headaches, and light sensitivity following abrupt discontinuation of methylphenidate; she subsequently presented with migraines and marked malaise immediately after a dose reduction in lisdexamfetamine. Read More

J Sleep Res 2018 10 14;27(5):e12690. Epub 2018 Apr 14.

National Reference Centre for Narcolepsy, Hypersomnia and Kleine-Levin Syndrome, Pitie-Salpetriere University Hospital, AP-HP, Paris, France.

In Kleine-Levin syndrome (KLS), episodes of hypersomnia and cognitive, psychiatric and behavioural disturbances alternate with asymptomatic periods in adolescents. We evaluated whether psychiatric disorders would emerge during asymptomatic periods in a naturalistic, uncontrolled clinical cohort. Patients with primary KLS underwent psychiatric interviews at diagnosis and every year for 1-10 years, leading to diagnosis of former and present comorbid psychiatric disorders. Read More

Sleep Med 2018 04 3;44:53-60. Epub 2018 Jan 3.

Department of Biomedical and Neuromotor Sciences (DIBINEM), University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy; IRCCS Istituto delle Scienze Neurologiche, Bologna, Italy. Electronic address:

Background: Type 1 narcolepsy (NT1) is a central hypersomnia linked to the destruction of hypocretin-producing neurons. A great body of genetic and epidemiological data points to likely autoimmune disease aetiology. Recent reports have characterized peripheral blood T-cell subsets in NT1, whereas data regarding the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) immune cell composition are lacking. Read More

Sleep 2018 06;41(6)

Center for Research in Neuroscience of Lyon (CRNL), SLEEP team, CNRS UMR5292, INSERM U1028, Université Claude Bernard-Lyon1, Lyon, France.

Narcolepsy type 1 is a disabling disorder with four primary symptoms: excessive-daytime-sleepiness, cataplexy, hypnagogic hallucinations, and sleep paralysis. The later three symptoms together with a short rapid eye movement (REM) sleep latency have suggested impairment in REM sleep homeostatic regulation with an enhanced propensity for (i.e. Read More

J Thorac Dis 2018 Jan;10(Suppl 1):S177-S183

Sleep Disorders Centre, St Thomas' Hospital, London, UK.

Background: Excessive daytime sleepiness (EDS) is a complaint common to many aspects of medicine. There are primary and secondary causes for EDS, with secondary causes including a large number of common conditions. Primary causes, such as narcolepsy, are much rarer. Read More

Parkinsonism Relat Disord 2018 05 3;50:99-103. Epub 2018 Feb 3.

Department of Neuroscience, Mayo Clinic, Jacksonville, FL, United States.

Introduction: Excessive daytime sleepiness is a commonly reported clinical feature of dementia with Lewy bodies (DLB) that can occur early in the disease. Cholinergic depletion is known to be severe in DLB, even when dementia severity is mild. The nucleus basalis of Meynert serves as a primary source of cortical acetylcholine, and has a role in facilitating cortical activation and arousal. Read More

Mov Disord 2018 04 8;33(4):618-627. Epub 2018 Feb 8.

CHU Montpellier, Institut de Recherche en Biothérapie, hôpital St Eloi, Laboratoire de Biochimie Protéomique Clinique et CCBHM, INSERM U1040, Montpellier, France.

Background: To better understand the role of iron homeostasis dysregulation in restless legs syndrome, we compared serum hepcidin and ferritin levels in drug-free patients with primary restless legs syndrome and healthy controls and studied the relationship between hepcidin level and restless legs syndrome severity.

Methods: One hundred and eight drug-free patients with primary restless legs syndrome (65 women; median age, 61.5 years) and 45 controls (28 women; median age, 53. Read More

Sleep Med Clin 2018 Mar 10;13(1):63-70. Epub 2017 Nov 10.

Department of Neurology, Saint Louis University School of Medicine, Monteleone Hall, 1438 South Grand Boulevard, St Louis, MO 63104, USA. Electronic address:

Sleep disorders are commonly found in cerebral degenerative disorders. The sleep disorders may be caused by the primary symptoms of the neurologic disease or may result from damage to sleep-controlling centers in the brain. Common sleep disorders found in this population include insomnia, hypersomnia, sleep apnea, restless legs syndrome, circadian rhythm disorders, and rapid eye movement sleep behavior disorder. Read More

J Am Heart Assoc 2018 01 19;7(2). Epub 2018 Jan 19.

Department of Cardiovascular Medicine, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN

Background: Excessive daytime sleepiness (EDS), a common symptom among patients with sleep-disordered breathing, is closely associated with the development of cardiovascular diseases, but its long-term prognostic value is not completely understood. The aim of this study was to investigate whether EDS would be an independent prognostic factor after myocardial infarction.

Methods And Results: We prospectively recruited 112 post-myocardial infarction patients. Read More

J Neuroimmunol 2018 02 18;315:28-32. Epub 2017 Dec 18.

Center for Sleep Sciences and Medicine, Stanford University, 3165 Porter Drive, Palo Alto, CA 94304, USA. Electronic address:

Anti-Yo paraneoplastic cerebellar degeneration (PCD) is a devastating autoimmune complication of gynecological cancers. We hypothesized that as for other autoimmune diseases, specific HLA haplotypes are associated. We conducted high resolution HLA typing of Class I/Class II in 40 cases versus ethnically matched controls. Read More

BMC Pulm Med 2017 Dec 12;17(1):192. Epub 2017 Dec 12.

Canadian Centre for Health and Safety in Agriculture, University of Saskatchewan, 104 Clinic Place, Saskatoon, SK, S7N 2Z4, Canada.

Background: Excessive daytime sleepiness may be determined by a number of factors including personal characteristics, co-morbidities and socio-economic conditions. In this study we identified factors associated with excessive daytime sleepiness in 2 First Nation communities in rural Saskatchewan.

Methods: Data for this study were from a 2012-13 baseline assessment of the First Nations Lung Health Project, in collaboration between two Cree First Nation reserve communities in Saskatchewan and researchers at the University of Saskatchewan. Read More

Addiction 2018 05 9;113(5):857-867. Epub 2018 Jan 9.

Department of Psychiatry, UT Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, USA.

Background And Aims: Non-medical use of prescribed stimulant medications is a growing concern. This study's aims were to ascertain the demographics of stimulant medication users compared with non-users, examine temporal trends of stimulant medication use and estimate risk factors for development of amphetamine use disorder (AUD) and mortality among new users of stimulant medications.

Design: Cox proportional hazards regression in a retrospective cohort adjusted by baseline covariates. Read More

Clin Med (Lond) 2017 Dec;17(6):499-503

Basildon and Thurrock University Hospital, Basildon, UK.

Obstructive sleep apnoea (OSA), which is often overlooked in patients presenting to primary and secondary care, is an increasingly common comorbidity. The prevalence of OSA has not been studied in the unselected acute medical take. The aim of this study was to screen for the prevalence of undiagnosed OSA using the STOPBANG Questionnaire and the Epworth sleepiness scale (ESS) score in an unselected acute medical take. Read More

Eur J Paediatr Neurol 2018 Jan 21;22(1):194-198. Epub 2017 Nov 21.

Children's Sleep Medicine Department, Evelina London Children's Hospital, Guy's and St. Thomas' NHS Foundation Trust, London, King's Health Partners Academic Health Science Centre, UK. Electronic address:

Type 1 narcolepsy (NT1) is a chronic primary disorder of hypersomnolence characterized by excessive daytime sleepiness, cataplexy, sleep paralysis, hypnagogic hallucinations and disrupted nocturnal sleep. NT1 is linked to hypothalamic hypocretin deficiency, strongly associated with Human Leukocyte Antigen (HLA) marker DQB1*06:02 and of probable autoimmune origin. NT1 is usually associated with increased rates of overweight and obesity, and sometimes with increases in overnight blood pressure and increased rates of hypoventilation with raised CO levels overnight. Read More

J Sleep Res 2018 10 24;27(5):e12640. Epub 2017 Nov 24.

Multidisciplinary Sleep Unit, Neurology Department, Hospital Clínic Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain.

Previous studies have estimated an overall prevalence for narcolepsy between 15 and 70 cases per 100 000 inhabitants. We aimed to estimate the prevalence of narcolepsy in Catalunya (Catalonia), a north-east region of Spain (7 424 754 inhabitants), on 31 December 2014 by identifying all living subjects diagnosed with narcolepsy. First, we identified patients diagnosed by one of the 13 sleep, paediatric or neurological departments that perform tests regularly to diagnose narcolepsy. Read More