Time for a PSA:
This week is National Sleep Awareness Week
Also see: American Academy of Sleep Medicine
Find a Sleep Medicine Specialist Near You!
(Note: Anyone in NYC or the Tri-State area looking for a good NYC based Sleep Medicine practice, drop a note in the comments)
A silly titled press release: Drug-free answer to the relief from snoring
The solution? According to the company, a “ring”, worn on the finger.
No, nor is it indicated for use in individuals with
sleep apnea. (While snoring is often a cardinal symptom of OSA, the two can be exclusive).
Sadly, out there, people will jump for this product.
In a recent issue of Sleep Medicine
REM sleep behavior disorder and other sleep disturbances in Disney animated films.
Where do these researchers find these things?
From the December 26th issue of the Journal of Neuroscience
Systemic and Nasal Delivery of Orexin-A (Hypocretin-1) Reduces the Effects of Sleep Deprivation on Cognitive Performance in Nonhuman Primates [Abstract]
Or in laymans terms, here’s the article from Wired
I’m so looking forward to this article.
Which is better for drowsy drivers:
Coffee or Napping?
According to an article published in the most recent issue o the journal Sleep, a French study has shown thatfor middle age drivers, Coffee was better. While, Middle Age drivers did better with a nap.
Now, not having read the article yet (I plan to do so, once a copy of the journal arrives at work), a few questions immediately come to mind. One of the most glarin is if the drivers sleep patterns were monitored in the nights leading up to this test. In doing so, one could detect any slee disorders which would have had an impact in motor-cognitive function.
For now though, here’s a link to the abstract
Personally, I’ll take both coffee and a nap, thank you very much.
This column by a neuropsychiatrist advocating brain scans for presidential candidates is simply silly.
First off, what good is a general brain scan, if you’re not looking at a specific area or region of the brain? You just don’t scan the whole thing for the heck of it!
Second, what are you going to be measuring? In doing so, what method will be used: fMRI? SPECT? PET? MRI? CT?
Third, what would the findings tell us? That candidate A has a greater glucose metabolism in the hippocampus then candidate B?
This is more silly brain-scan “science” than anything else. That said, neuroimaging does have its place in both clinical and research applications, and when used properly is an invaluable resource.
Over at the Neuroethics and Law blog is an excellent piece by a neuropsychologist, debunking the NYT’s recent article about politics and neuroimaging.
Via: Mind Hacks
Lifehacker posts: Behavior beats pills in fighting insomnia
Just google “Sleep Hygiene” and you’ll find a set of recommendations that have been shown to help.
Other non-pharmacological options include, but are not limited to Cognitive Behavioral Therapy or other counseling .
Slate Magazine looks at some over-the-counter
snoring remedies
If snoring is actually a significant problem, one should realy consult with an Ear, nose and Throat ENT) doctor or schedule a visit with a Sleep Medicine physician.
[To anyone in NYC or its vicinty: if you need the name of a good sleep clinic drop me a note in the comments)
Apparently the newest cause celebre on some college campuses is to protest electro-convulsive therapy (ECT)
ECT, while still not perfect, has progressed since it’s inception as a therapy for severe psychiatric conditions. There was actually a cover story in the Village Voice about just this subject last week.
Much is being made about the Nature Neuroscience article that found some differences in brain activity in self identified Conservatives and Liberals
However, the media report isn’t exactly what the study found. See this post at Cognitive Daily which explains the importance of the article.
Kandel and Watson sharing the same stage
–wow, just wow!
/Science celebreties
Neuropsychopharmacology: The Fifth Generation of Progress has been published (for free online)
134 chapters of neuro-goodness! Woohoo!
This is just beyond neat, and marks a huge first step forward in the development of brain stimulation devices:
The voices are saying that this is a promising development
Times: Scientists breed world’s first mentally ill mouse
On a more serious note, perhaps this headline is misleading, as aren’t there mouse models of other mental illnesses (besides schizophrenia–which is the subject of the article)
The voices are saying that this is a promising development
Times: Scientists breed world’s first mentally ill mouse
On a more serious note, perhaps this headline is misleading, as aren’t there mouse models of other mental illnesses (besides schizophrenia–which is the subject of the article)
This was going to be a longer post on the subject of science journalism, but coincidentally a piece was posted up at Ars Technica which stated my thoughts in a more eloquent way:
Ars: Getting the message out: Science and journalism
On the topic, a piece from a blog called “Language Lob” which teaches the lay person how to read and understand articles that proclaim: “A genetic linkage to x has been found”
Finally, a quote: “Journalists are better at science than scientists are at journalism” [source unknown].
That pretty much says it all…
Why does the snooze button only go for 9 minutes?
Interesting theory, though it probably requires re-evaluation
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