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Query: UMLS:C0917801 (insomnia)
 10,606 document(s) hit in 31,850,051 MEDLINE articles (0.00 seconds)

In the article, the author develops an analysis of external and intrapsychic factors related to adults' insomnia. First she undertakes a literature review to describe semiological, evolutive and etiological levels of insomnia. From a semiological point of view, it is usual to differenciate initial insomnia (associated to the first phase of sleeping), intermittent insomnia (related to frequent awakenings) and final insomnia (related to early morning awakenings). From an evolutive point of view, we can identify transitory insomnia (characterized by frequent awakenings) and chronic insomnia. On the other hand, we are allowed to distinguish organic insomnia (disorder where an organic cerebral injury is demonstrated or suspected) from insomnias related to psychiatric or somatic disease or idiopathic one. Then, the author makes a literary review to identify various insomnia causes and points out. Social factors: insomnia rates are higher by divorced, separated or widowed people. Percentages are higher when scholastic level is weak, domestic income is less then 915 O a month, or by unemployed people. Besides, sleep quality is deteriorated by ageing. Sleeping and waking rhythm is able to loose its synchronization. Complaints about insomnia occur far frequently from women than men. Environmental factors: working constraints increase sleep disorders. It is possible to make the same conclusion when we have to face overcharge of external events, deep intrapsychic conflicts (related to grief, unemployment, damage or hospitalization) or interpersonal conflicts' situations where we are confronted to stress related to socio-affective environment, lack of social support or conjugal difficulties. Medical and physiologic causes: legs impatience syndrome, recurrent limbs shakings syndrome, breathe stop during sleep, narcolepsy, excessive medicine or hypnotic drugs use, some central nervous system injuries, every nocturnal awakening (related to aches.), surgical operation. Chronobiological factors: night working or day-night shift produce insomnia by desynchronization. It is the same for time lag related to jet-lag flights. Significant gaps between the internal biological clock and environmental synchronizators, such as phase delay sleep, phase advance sleep, sleep-waking cycle longer than 24 (25) hours, or variations in sleep-awakening cycle, are of less importance. Toxic factors are numerous: amphetamines, antidepressors, medication against anorexia and tubercular disease, caffeine and alcohol excessive use, chronic alcoholism. Behavioral factors: enduring insomnias are related to poor nightroutines (to go to sleep too early, to read or to look at T.V. when going to bed). The same effect is produced by regular intellectual activities close to bedtime or by a late meal in the evening, by an noisy or unhealthy environment, by physical hyperactivity or sleeping after each lunch. Psychiatric factors: insomnia often appears with psychiatric disorders such as a major depressive episode, an anxiety disorder or schizophrenia. Insomnia also is able to open a delirious disorganization or a manic access. Psychological factors: overstimulation of waking system (related to stress overdose or intellectual hyperactivity), conditioning phenomena, fear of not falling asleep, intrapsychic and interpersonal conflicts. Third, the author put hypothesis about psychodynamic etiology of chronic insomnia. Following a first assumption, insomnia should be a result of anguish excess related to intrapsychic (and not interpersonal) conflicts which can't lead to a mental elaboration. These conflicts run over dream protective function, generating a breakdown of dream symbolization function. At a clinical level, we are in some cases in front of people enduring sleeping insomnia but more often, we are confronted with an intermittent or early waking insomnia sometimes associated with nightmares. Following a second assumption, insomnia should be a result of psychic functioning invalidation. Here, failure of dream protective and symbolization function is related to anguish excess associated with an amount of external conflicts. Overwhelmed by concretude, insomniac patients present an alexythimic intrapsychic functioning forbiding dream realization. These persons have no possibility to elaborate conflicts especially external overcharge, using dreams or imagination to escape from an intrusive reality and regress to sleeping. Here we are in front of initial sleep insomnia. Following a third hypothesis, some insomnias are related to wakings associated with repetitive nightmares. This type of insomnia should be related to a past traumatic event or activated by actual existential context and produces a too important anguish charge to follow a mental elaboration process and lead to mental symbolic representation. Following a fourth hypothesis, some insomnias are in relation with an impossibility to accept passive position. The last one will expose to a danger consisting either of castration or loneliness and death. To conclude, the author suggests some preventive perspective to face insomnia. Especially, she points out limits of pharmalogical treatments. She underlines the necessity to promote no medical methods to facilitate sleep induction and maintenance, including sleep hygiene measures, relaxation, psychotherapic approach and behavioral methods. She emphasizes the danger of a reductive approach of insomnia which would be focused on a single medical, psychological or environmental dimension. Last but not least, she makes methodological propositions to test from a clinical point of view the four psychodynamic exposed hypotheses.
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PMID:[Etiology of adult insomnia]. 1250 61

BACKGROUND: The administration of sedatives in terminally ill patients becomes an increasingly feasible medical option in end-of-life care. However, sedation for intractable distress has raised considerable medical and ethical concerns. In our study we provide a critical analysis of seven years experience with the application of sedation in the final phase of life in our palliative care unit. METHODS: Medical records of 548 patients, who died in the Palliative Care Unit of GK Havelhoehe between 1995-2002, were retrospectively analysed with regard to sedation in the last 48 hrs of life. The parameters of investigation included indication, choice and kind of sedation, prevalence of intolerable symptoms, patients' requests for sedation, state of consciousness and communication abilities during sedation. Critical evaluation included a comparison of the period between 1995-1999 and 2000-2002. RESULTS: 14.6% (n = 80) of the patients in palliative care had sedation given by the intravenous route in the last 48 hrs of their life according to internal guidelines. The annual frequency to apply sedation increased continuously from 7% in 1995 to 19% in 2002. Main indications shifted from refractory control of physical symptoms (dyspnoea, gastrointestinal, pain, bleeding and agitated delirium) to more psychological distress (panic-stricken fear, severe depression, refractory insomnia and other forms of affective decompensation). Patients' and relatives' requests for sedation in the final phase were significantly more frequent during the period 2000-2002. CONCLUSION: Sedation in the terminal or final phase of life plays an increasing role in the management of intractable physical and psychological distress. Ethical concerns are raised by patients' requests and needs on the one hand, and the physicians' self-understanding on the other hand. Hence, ethically acceptable criteria and guidelines for the decision making are needed with special regard to the nature of refractory and intolerable symptoms, patients' informed consent and personal needs, the goals and aims of medical sedation in end-of-life care.
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PMID:Sedation in palliative care - a critical analysis of 7 years experience. 1274 22

The term Morvan's disease, first coined in 1890, is still in use, although the generic term neuromyotonia--which is not exempt from criticism--has largely superseded it. Symptoms and signs are variable, ranging from benign painful fasciculations, pseudomyotonic cases, rigid forms, cases in which central nervous system features are also present (with, in addition to nerve hyperexcitability, agitation, confusion, delirium, insomnia, hyperhidrosis and tachycardia). A distal peripheral motor nerve is the origin of nerve hyperexcitability. There is growing evidence that autoimmunity is involved in the pathogenesis of many cases. Antibodies to voltage-gated potassium channels are detected in the serum of many patients with peripheral nerve hyperexcitability. Other cases are probably genetic. Inherited disorders are related to episodic dominant ataxia type 1, with the same mutation of a gene coding for potassium channel subunit Kv 1-1. Many inappropriate or non specific names are used to refer to peripheral nerve hyperexcitability. Isaacs syndrome, voltage-gated potassium channelopathy, or Morvan's syndrome are suggested.
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PMID:[From Morvan's disease to potassium channelopathies]. 1550 15

We recently performed a post-mortem examination on a Japanese patient who had a prion protein gene mutation responsible for fatal familial insomnia (FFI). The patient initially developed cerebellar ataxia, but finally demonstrated insomnia, hyperkinetic delirium, autonomic signs and myoclonus in the late stage of the illness. Histological examination revealed marked neuronal loss in the thalamus and inferior olivary nucleus; however, prion protein (PrP) deposition was not proved in these lesions by immunohistochemistry. Instead, PrP deposition and spongiform change were both conspicuous within the cerebral cortex, whereas particular PrP deposition was also observed within the cerebellar cortex. The abnormal protease-resistant PrP (PrP(res)) molecules in the cerebral cortex of this case revealed PrP(res) type 2 pattern and were compatible with those of FFI cases, but the transmission study demonstrated that a pathogen in this case was different from that in a case with classical FFI. By inoculation with homogenate made from the cerebral cortex, the disease was transmitted to mice, and neuropathological features that were distinguishable from those previously reported were noted. These findings indicate the possibility that a discrete pathogen was involved in the disease in this case. We suggest that not only the genotype of the PrP gene and some other as yet unknown genetic factors, but also the variation in pathogen strains might be responsible for the varying clinical and pathological features of this disease.
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PMID:Fatal familial insomnia with an unusual prion protein deposition pattern: an autopsy report with an experimental transmission study. 1563 34

A significant number of patients with terminal cancer experience terminal restlessness or an agitated delirium in the final days of life. Multifactorial etiologies may contribute to agitation and restlessness for any one patient; alcohol withdrawal may be underrated as a contributing factor. The symptoms and signs of alcohol withdrawal--autonomic dysfunction, tremor, anxiety, sleep disturbances, insomnia, and abnormal vital signs--may continue for 6 to 12 months after the cessation of alcohol. We report four patients with terminal restlessness in whom we believe alcohol withdrawal to be a significant causal factor and a fifth patient who subsequently benefited from our team's increased awareness of this clinical problem. Formal assessment of alcohol withdrawal may be of more value in the palliative setting than using the currently accepted assessment instruments. Many of the medications utilized for the treatment of agitated delirium and terminal restlessness in the palliative care setting are effective therapies for alcohol withdrawal.
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PMID:Alcohol withdrawal as an underrated cause of agitated delirium and terminal restlessness in patients with advanced malignancy. 1565 44

Infectious diseases, especially hepatitis C, are prevalent among drug abusers. Interferon-alpha (IFN-alpha) is the pharmacological treatment of choice for this condition. Patients being treated with IFN-alpha can be expected to experience such psychiatric side-effects as development of depression, mania, irritability, changes in personality, hallucinations or delirium. In addition, certain patients are considered to be at greater risk of developing neuropsychiatric side-effects. Individuals meeting the following criteria are particularly vulnerable: over 40 years of age; having central nervous system abnormalities; a previous neurological or psychiatric history; a past familial psychiatric history; use of narcotics or having alcohol or substance use disorders; being HIV-positive; coadministration of other cytokines; receiving high doses of IFN-alpha (> 6 million units). We report the case of a 29-year-old patient with chronic non-active hepatitis C, a previous psychiatric history of polydrug abuse (cannabis, heroin and illegal use of the psychotropic drug biperiden) and anxiety disorder. Two weeks after the initiation of IFN-alpha treatment, he developed fatigue, sleeplessness and persecutory delusions. The patient responded partially to the discontinuation of the IFN-alpha treatment. Due to the presence of three risk factors in this patient, he was considered to belong to the group of patients being 'at high risk' of developing neuropsychiatric side-effects. This is the first case report of major depressive disorder with psychotic features in such a 'high-risk patient'. This case report may prompt other research by showing the importance of the close monitoring, and the prevention of the progression of IFN-alpha-related psychiatric disorders in 'a high-risk patient'.
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PMID:Major depressive disorder with psychotic features induced by interferon-alpha treatment for hepatitis C in a polydrug abuser. 1567 Nov 36

In Japan, palliative care team (PCT) services have been covered by National Health Insurance since 2002. The primary aims of this study were to compare the characteristics of patients who received PCT services with those admitted to palliative care units (PCU), and to clarify the medical treatments and symptom improvement during the first week after consultation with the PCT. This was a prospective audit study of 111 consecutive cancer patients referred to the PCT in Seirei Mikatabara Hospital and a comparison group of 100 consecutive patients admitted to PCU. As a part of daily practice, we prospectively recorded patient symptoms on a structured data collection sheet at the initial assessment and one week later. Symptom severity was measured by the Japanese version of the Schedule for Team Assessment Scale. After PCT consultation, 25% were discharged to home, 43% died in hospital, 40% died after admission to PCU, and 14% were alive at the end of the study period. Compared with PCU patients, PCT patients were significantly younger, had better performance status, were more likely to be referred with the described aim of symptom palliation, and suffered from more serious pain, appetite loss, somnolence, insomnia, anxiety, and delirium. There were significant improvements in symptom scores of pain, nausea, vomiting, constipation, abdominal swelling, dyspnea, sputum, insomnia, and anxiety during the first week in the PCT group. However, no significant improvements were observed in symptom scores of fatigue, dry mouth, somnolence, and delirium. A median of 3 interventions was performed for each patient, and the most common interventions were administration of NSAIDs, opioids, centrally-acting antiemetics, and steroids. These data indicate that a PCT was successfully implemented in Seirei Mikatabara Hospital, and may contribute to symptom improvement in cancer patients.
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PMID:Palliative care team: the first year audit in Japan. 1590 48

HIV/AIDS has the unfortunate distinction of being one of the most devastating epidemics of the twentieth century. By the end of June, 1999, 420,201 deaths in persons with AIDS had been reported in the United States. While HIV/AIDS patients are currently living longer as a result of more effective and complex treatments, no vaccination or cure has yet been discovered. Over the years, the HIV/AIDS epidemic has become multifactorial and currently affects several different special population groups. Individuals who are at high risk for becoming infected with HIV or who already suffer from HIV/AIDS can benefit greatly from the interventions of psychiatrists or other mental health professionals. It is important that psychiatrists collaborate very closely with infectious disease specialists in the management of HIV/AIDS and its psychological sequelae. The authors describe the psychiatric conditions that most often occur in association with HIV/AIDS: mood disorders, anxiety disorders, substance-related disorders, psychotic disorders, insomnia and sleep disorders, delirium, dementia, and pain syndromes. We present guidelines for diagnosis and psychopharmacological and psychotherapeutic treatment of these disorders in patients with HIV/AIDS. The article concludes with a discussion of prevention strategies that can be used in a mental health treatment setting and special issues related to treating HIV/AIDS in certain special population groups.
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PMID:Psychiatric considerations in the diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of HIV/AIDS. 1599 Apr 80

The population suffering from insomnia in old age onset (LOI) is quite large. LOI might include a larger scale of syndromes ranging from typical psychophysiological insomnia to night delirium. The correlation between the biological, biochemical changes and the quantitative as well as the qualitative alterations of the sleep process through aging has not been fully explored. One can suppose that any cerebral lesion leading to a dysfunction in mental performance can also act on the sleep. The majority of LOI brain metabolic disturbances might therefore have some etiological role. The authors suggest the application of this concept in the clinical evaluation of LOI. The authors constructed a heuristic model for the pathophysiology and treatment of LOI. It is a bipolar axis containing the most typical symptoms of LOI. On the opposite margins psychophysiological insomnia and organic/metabolic insomnia (up to delirious states) are settled. The position on the axis (i.e., its distance from the "edge syndromes") gives information on the probability of its organic nature. Based on their clinical experiences and considering the data of the very few studies, they suppose that with the help of a detailed analysis of the symptoms of LOI and using some additional (electrophysiological and neuroimaging) laboratory methods most patients with LOI can get a strict diagnostic position on the LOI axis. Using the LOI axis not only a detailed evaluation of the symptomatology but also more sophisticated therapeutic interventions become possible. Symptoms on the "metabolic side" can be cured by a single evening application of any drugs improving the function of the brain (like nootropics, neuroprotective agents or even slight stimulants, e.g., caffeine) might show a "paradoxical hypnotic" effect, or in combination with sleeping pills they can cause an additive effect in LOI patients. The efficacy of this treatment can also have a diagnostic value: i.e., it helps to differentiate between the primary (organic) and psychophysiological (exogenous or emotional/psychic) forms of LOI.
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PMID:From psychophysiological insomnia to organic sleep disturbances: a continuum in late onset insomnia - with special concerns relating to its treatment. 1612 34

We report an autopsy case showing neuropathologically abundant Lewy bodies and argyrophilic grains. A Japanese woman without hereditary burden developed parkinsonian gait at the age of 74, following by insomnia, memory disturbance, delirium, resting tremor, rigidity, and retropulsion. About 8 months later, a visual hallucination, concerning small worms, children, and so on, became obvious. About 16 months later, malignant lymphoma was detected. About 17 months later, she died of pneumonia. The total duration of illness was approximately one year and five months. The weight of the brain was 1153 g before fixation. Depigmentation of the substantia nigra and locusceruleus was prominent. Many argyrophilic grains were seen in the temporal lobe (T3, T4), amygdala, and hippocampal CA1. Some ballooned neurons were found in the amygdala. Many Lewy bodies were encountered in the transentorhinal region and cingulated gyrus. A few Lewy bodies were seen in the temporal, frontal, and parietal lobes. In this case, neuropathological examination is compatible for dementia of Lewy bodies and argyrophilic grain dementia, and clinical course is consistent with dementia of Lewy bodies. This report may contribute to the elucidation of the clinicopathological hallmarks of argyrophilic grain dementia and dementia with Lewy bodies.
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PMID:[Autopsy case of Lewy body dementia associated with abundant argyrophilic grains]. 1614 14


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