Sleep Deprivation And Dementia

A study published in Science has found that levels of amyloid beta, a protein fragment associated with Alzheimers disease, rose and fell in association with sleep and wakefulness in mice. 'It is interesting that there may be a link between sleep and the build up of the protein associated with the development of Alzheimer's disease. Read more ...

Cephalon, Inc. (Nasdaq: CEPH) announced the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has granted a priority review for its supplemental New Drug Application (sNDA) for NUVIGIL(R) (armodafinil) Tablets [C-IV], which was filed in June of this year. The FDA decision on approval of NUVIGIL as a treatment for improving wakefulness in patients with excessive sleepiness associated with jet lag disorder due to eastbound travel is expected by December 29, 2009. Read more ...

ImThera Medical, Inc. announced that it has completed development of its Targeted Hypoglossal Neurostimulation (THN) system for Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA). More than 800,000 patients in the US are annually diagnosed with OSA. While Continuous Positive Airway Pressure (CPAP) remains as the established therapy, studies show that up to 50% of patients do not comply with CPAP. Read more ...

ImThera Medical, Inc. has received Ethics Committee clearance to begin human clinical trials in Belgium. The trials will include ImThera's Targeted Hypoglossal Neurostimulation (THN) Sleep Therapy to treat Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA). Along with the clinical trial approvals, ImThera has received ISO 13485 certification of its quality system as a pre-requisite for the future CE mark application for European commercialization of medical products. Read more ...

Obesity in children significantly increases the risk of major and minor respiratory complications following surgery to correct sleep disordered breathing (SDB), according to new research presented at the 2009 American Academy of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery Foundation (AAO-HNSF) Annual Meeting & OTO EXPO, in San Diego, CA. The study, which followed the post-operative recovery of 49 obese children compared with a control group, revealed that 75. Read more ...

Early Releases: 1. Earlier H1N1 Vaccination Prevents More Deaths, Saves Health Care Costs A vaccine for H1N1 influenza is anticipated to become available this fall. With the amount and timing of vaccine release still in question, policy makers struggle to set priorities regarding who should be vaccinated when. Read more ...

 Continuous Positive Airway Pressure (CPAP) is the most common treatment for obstructive sleep apnea (OSA). Except for tracheotomy, it is also the most effective treatment for OSA. CPAP is basically a computerized air pump that delivers pressurized air through a hose and then through a nasal interface into the patient's throat. The pressurized air splints open the upper airways, preventing the airflow pauses (apneas) and airflow... Read more ...