PRESS-NEWS.org - Press Release Distribution
PRESS RELEASES DISTRIBUTION

Sleep drunkenness disorder may affect 1 in 7

2014-08-25
(Press-News.org) MINNEAPOLIS – A study is shining new light on a sleep disorder called "sleep drunkenness." The disorder may be as prevalent as affecting one in every seven people. The research is published in the August 26, 2014, print issue of Neurology®, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology.

Sleep drunkenness disorder involves confusion or inappropriate behavior, such as answering the phone instead of turning off the alarm, during or following arousals from sleep, either during the first part of the night or in the morning. An episode, often triggered by a forced awakening, may even cause violent behavior during sleep or amnesia of the episode.

"These episodes of waking up confused have received considerably less attention than sleepwalking even though the consequences can be just as serious," said study author Maurice M. Ohayon, MD, DSc, PhD, with Stanford University School of Medicine in Palo Alto, CA.

For the study, 19,136 people age 18 and older from the general US population were interviewed about their sleep habits and whether they had experienced any symptoms of the disorder. Participants were also asked about mental illness diagnoses and any medications they took.

The study found that 15 percent of the group had experienced an episode in the last year, with more than half reporting more than one episode per week. In the majority of cases—84 percent—people with sleep drunkenness also had a sleep disorder, a mental health disorder or were taking psychotropic drugs such as antidepressants. Less than 1 percent of the people with sleep drunkenness had no known cause or related condition.

Among those who had an episode, 37.4 percent also had a mental disorder. People with depression, bipolar disorder, alcoholism, panic or post-traumatic stress disorder and anxiety were more likely to experience sleep drunkenness.

The research also found that about 31 percent of people with sleep drunkenness were taking psychotropic medications such as antidepressants. Both long and short sleep times were associated with the sleep disorder. About 20 percent of those getting less than six hours of sleep per night and 15 percent of those getting at least nine hours experienced sleep drunkenness. People with sleep apnea also were more likely to have the disorder.

"These episodes of confused awakening have not gotten much attention, but given that they occur at a high rate in the general population, more research should be done on when they occur and whether they can be treated," said Ohayon. "People with sleep disorders or mental health issues should also be aware that they may be at greater risk of these episodes."

INFORMATION: The study was supported by the Arrillaga Foundation.

Learn more about sleep disorders at AAN.com/patients.

The American Academy of Neurology, an association of 28,000 neurologists and neuroscience professionals, is dedicated to promoting the highest quality patient-centered neurologic care. A neurologist is a doctor with specialized training in diagnosing, treating and managing disorders of the brain and nervous system such as Alzheimer's disease, stroke, migraine, multiple sclerosis, brain injury, Parkinson's disease and epilepsy.

For more information about the American Academy of Neurology, visit http://www.aan.com or find us on Facebook, Twitter, Google+ and YouTube.


ELSE PRESS RELEASES FROM THIS DATE:

State medical marijuana laws linked to lower prescription overdose deaths

2014-08-25
In states where it is legal to use medical marijuana to manage chronic pain and other conditions, the annual number of deaths from prescription drug overdose is 25 percent lower than in states where medical marijuana remains illegal, new research suggests. The findings of the study, led by researchers from the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health and the Philadelphia Veterans Affairs Medical Center, suggest that while medical marijuana laws can be controversial and opponents have raised concerns that they may promote cannabis use among children, they may have ...

Aspirin cuts risk of clots, DVT by a third -- new study

2014-08-25
Low dose aspirin lowers the occurrence of new venous blood clots – and represents a reasonable treatment option for patients who are not candidates for long-term anticoagulant drugs, such as warfarin, according to a new study published in today's issue of Circulation. "The study provides clear, consistent evidence that low-dose aspirin can help to prevent new venous blood clots and other cardiovascular events among people who are at risk because they have already suffered a blood clot," says the study's lead author, University of Sydney Professor, John Simes. "The treatment ...

Surgical complications of DBS no higher risk for older Parkinson's patients

2014-08-25
DURHAM, N.C. – Implantating deep brain stimulation devices poses no greater risk of complications to older patients than it does to younger patients with Parkinson's disease, researchers at Duke Medicine report. The findings, published Aug. 25, 2014, in the journal JAMA Neurology, ease concerns that patients older than age 75 are poorer candidates for deep brain stimulation (DBS) because they may be prone to bleeding, infections or other complications that can arise after surgeries. "Parkinson's disease is one of the most common movement disorders and it primarily ...

Lower opioid overdose death rates associated with state medical marijuana laws

2014-08-25
Bottom Line: States that implemented medical marijuana laws appear to have lower annual opioid analgesic overdoses death rates (both from prescription pain killers and illicit drugs such as heroin) than states without such laws although the reason why is not clear. Author: Marcus A. Bachhuber, M.D., of the Philadelphia Veterans Affairs Medical Center, and colleagues. Background: Prescriptions for opioid painkillers for chronic pain have increased in the United States and so have overdose deaths. However, less attention has been focused on how the availability of alternative ...

Weekend hospitalization linked to longer stay for pediatric leukemia patients

2014-08-25
Bottom Line: Weekend admission to the hospital for pediatric patients newly diagnosed with leukemia was associated with a longer length of stay, slightly longer wait to start chemotherapy and higher risk for respiratory failure but weekend admissions were not linked to an increased risk for death. Author: Elizabeth K. Goodman, B.A., of the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, and colleagues. Background: Leukemia is a common childhood cancer that accounts for about 30 percent of all pediatric cancer diagnoses. Previous research has indicated an increased risk of death ...

Complication risk of deep brain stimulation similar for older, younger Parkinson patients

2014-08-25
Bottom Line: Older patients with Parkinson disease (PD) who undergo deep brain stimulation (DBS) appear to have a 90-day complication risk similar to younger patients, suggesting that age alone should not be a primary factor for excluding patients as DBS candidates. Author: Michael R. DeLong, B.A., of the Duke University Medical Center, Durham, N.C., and colleagues. Background: For patients with advanced PD who have involuntary movements, DBS has been found to be an effective treatment for reducing motor disability and improving quality of life. Recent studies suggest ...

Two case reports of rare stiff person syndrome

2014-08-25
Bottom Line: Two female patients achieved clinical remission from the rare, debilitating neurological disease called stiff person syndrome (SPS, which can be marked by a "tin soldier" gait) after an autologous (from your own body) stem cell transplant that eventually allowed them to return to work and regain their previous functioning. Author: Sheilagh Sanders, M.D., of the University of Ottawa, Canada, and colleagues. Background: SPS is a disease characterized by stiffness of the skeletal muscles, painful muscle spasms and, in severe cases, the disease can prevent ...

Study shows 25 percent fewer opioid-related deaths in states allowing medical marijuana

2014-08-25
Philadelphia – On average, states allowing the medical use of marijuana have lower rates of deaths resulting from opioid analgesic overdoses than states without such laws. Opioid analgesics, such as OxyContin, Percocet and Vicodin, are prescribed for moderate to severe pain, and work by suppressing a person's perception of pain. A new multi-institutional study, published in JAMA Internal Medicine and led by researchers at the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, examined the rate of deaths caused by opioid overdoses between 1999 and 2010. Results ...

New process helps overcome obstacles to produce renewable fuels and chemicals

2014-08-25
There's an old saying in the biofuels industry: "You can make anything from lignin except money." But now, a new study may pave the way to challenging that adage. The study from the Energy Department's National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) demonstrates a concept that provides opportunities for the successful conversion of lignin into a variety of renewable fuels, chemicals, and materials for a sustainable energy economy. "Lignin Valorization Through Integrated Biological Funneling and Chemical Catalysis" was recently published in the Proceedings of the National ...

Kite Pharma announces positive results in patients with aggressive non-Hodgkin's lymphoma

2014-08-25
12 of 13 Total Evaluable Patients with Advanced B Cell Malignancies Had Complete Remissions (8 Patients) or Partial Remissions (4 Patients) Resulting in a 92% Objective Response Rate 4 of 7 Evaluable Patients with Chemotherapy-Refractory Diffuse Large B-cell Lymphoma (DLBCL) Achieved Complete Remissions, 3 of Which Are Ongoing and 1 of Which Is Ongoing after 22 Months The Results Have Been Published in the August 25, 2014 Issue of the American Society of Clinical Oncology's (ASCO) Journal of Clinical Oncology The Results Support Kite's Plan to File an Investigational ...

LAST 30 PRESS RELEASES:

Capturability distinction analysis of continuous and pulsed guidance laws

CHEST expands Bridging Specialties Initiative to include NTM disease and bronchiectasis on World Bronchiectasis Day

Exposure to air pollution may cause heart damage

SwRI, UTSA selected by NASA to test electrolyzer technology aboard parabolic flight

Prebiotics might be a factor in preventing or treating issues caused by low brain GABA

Youngest in class at higher risk of mental health problems

American Heart Association announces new volunteer leaders for 2025-26

Gut microbiota analysis can help catch gestational diabetes

FAU’s Paulina DeVito awarded prestigious NSF Graduate Research Fellowship

Champions for change – Paid time off initiative just made clinical trials participation easier

Fentanyl detection through packaging

Prof. Eran Meshorer elected to EMBO for pioneering work in epigenetics

New 3D glacier visualizations provide insights into a hotter Earth

Creativity across disciplines

Consequences of low Antarctic sea ice

Hear here: How loudness and acoustic cues help us judge where a speaker is facing

A unique method of rare-earth recycling can strengthen the raw material independence of Europe and America

Epilepsy self-management program shows promise to control seizures, improve mood and quality of life

Fat may play an important role in brain metabolism

New study finds no lasting impact of pandemic pet ownership on human well-being

New insights on genetic damage of some chemotherapies could guide future treatments with less harmful side effects

Gut microbes could protect us from toxic ‘forever chemicals’

Novel modelling links sea ice loss to Antarctic ice shelf calving events

Scientists can tell how fast you're aging from a single brain scan

U.S. uterine cancer incidence and mortality rates expected to significantly increase by 2050

Public take the lead in discovery of new exploding star

What are they vaping? Study reveals alarming surge in adolescent vaping of THC, CBD, and synthetic cannabinoids

ECMWF - delivering forecasts over 10 times faster and cutting energy usage by 1000

Brazilian neuroscientist reveals how viral infections transform the brain through microscopic detective work

Turning social fragmentation into action through discovering relatedness

[Press-News.org] Sleep drunkenness disorder may affect 1 in 7