Stages Of Sleep Have Distinct Influence On Process Of Learning And Memory

March 19, 2009

Research on the sleeping brain has revealed some fascinating stage-dependent interactions between areas involved in formation and storage of long term memories. The study, published by in the the journal Neuron, may also provide a framework for further understanding the role of sleep in memory.

Mammalian sleep occurs in two discrete stages, slow-wave sleep (SWS) and rapid eye movement (REM) sleep. One of the many ways in which SWS and REM sleep differ is in the level of synchronous firing in the hippocampus. Previous research has suggested that coordinated activity between the hippocampus?a brain area critical for memory formation where long-term memories are stored?—?may be critical for memory formation.

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Daytime sleepiness may be a red flag for cardiovascular disease

March 19, 2009

Clinicians should be alert to patients reporting excessive daytime sleepiness, or EDS, says the European Society of Cardiology, after a study found healthy elderly people who regularly report feeling sleepy during the day have a significantly higher risk of dying from cardiovascular disease.

The Three City study, published in Stroke, by the American Heart Association, found elderly people who reported excessive daytime sleepiness have a 49 percent relative risk increase of cardiovascular death from cerebrovascular disease, myocardial infarction, and heart failure, compared to those who do not report problem sleepiness during waking hours.

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Modafinil used to improve cognitive performance affects brain dopamine activity; suggests abuse & dependence potential

March 18, 2009

Preliminary research in healthy men suggests that the narcolepsy drug modafinil, increasingly being used to enhance cognitive abilities, affects the activity of dopamine in the brain in a way that may create the potential for abuse and dependence, according to a study in JAMA.

Modafinil, a wake-promoting drug used to treat sleep disorders, may enhance cognition and is used off-label for the treatment of cognitive dysfunction in some psychiatric disorders, such as schizophrenia and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).

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FDA approves Edluar as short-term treatment of insomnia

March 17, 2009

Orexo has announced the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved Edluar (formerly Sublinox) 5 mg and 10 mg sublingual tablets for the short-term treatment of insomnia characterized by difficulties with sleep initiation.

Meda, Orexo’s partner, acquired exclusive worldwide commercial licensing for Edluar in 2008 with expectations to launch the product in the U.S. market during the second half of 2009. Orexo will receive royalties based on Meda’s sales of Edluar.

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Molecule that helps sleep-deprived to mentally rebound identified

March 17, 2009

Sleep experts know that the mental clarity lost because of a few sleepless nights can often be restored with a good night’s rest. Researchers have identified a key molecular mechanism that regulates the brain’s ability to mentally compensate for sleep deprivation.

Working with mice, they found that a molecule called an adenosine receptor is necessary for sleep-restricted animals to attain adequate levels of slow-wave activity in the brain once normal sleep resumes. It is this increase in slow-wave activity, or SWA, during rebound sleep that helps restore normal working memory and attention skills to the sleep-deprived.

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Obesity linked to sleep apnea among truck drivers

March 16, 2009

Commercial truck accidentrs are a significant public health hazard causing thousands of deaths and injuries each year, with driver fatigue and sleepiness being major causes.

A new study has confirmed previous findings that obesity-driven testing strategies identify commercial truck drivers with a high likelihood of obstructive sleep apnea and suggests that mandating obstructive sleep apnea screenings could reduce the risk of truck crashes.

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People Who Sleep Less Than Six Hours Nightly Risk Developing Diabetes

March 13, 2009

There is already a laundry list of health issues that may result from the lack of appropriate sleep — moodiness, memory problems, difficulty concentrating — add the risk of developing diabetes.

A study from the University at Buffalo shows that people who sleep less than six hours a night during the work-week are 4½ times more likely to have elevated levels of blood sugar than those who slumber six-to-eight hours.

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Napping increases risk of diabetes

March 13, 2009

People with a habit of getting in a power nap during lunch could increase the risk of developing Type 2 diabetes, according to the findings of a research study being presented this week at in Glasgow, Scotland.

Researchers at the University of Birmingham looked at the napping habits of 16,480 people and found that diabetes prevalence increased with napping frequency, and those who napped had a 26 percent greater risk of developing Type 2 diabetes compared to those who never napped.

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Insomnia often appears to be a persistent condition

March 10, 2009

About three-fourths of individuals with insomnia report experiencing the condition for at least one year and almost half experience it for three years, according to a report in a peer-reviewed journal.

Insomnia is the inability to fall asleep or stay asleep. “Approximately 30 percent of adults report symptoms of insomnia and 6 percent to 10 percent meet diagnostic criteria for an insomnia disorder,” the authors write as background information in the article.

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