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

The publication of a new nosology of sleep and arousal disorders in 1979 established the need for differential diagnosis of sleep disorders based on polysomnographic evaluations as well as medical history and physical examination. This review of recent developments in diagnosing and treating sleep disorders covers such topics as prevalence, findings related to sleeping pills and insomnia, effects of depression on sleep, and managing the elderly patient with disturbed sleep. The authors caution against misuse of hypnotic drug therapy for treatment of insomnia and encourage physicians to inquire about sleep patterns even when a patient is presenting a seemingly unrelated problem.
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PMID:Recent developments in the diagnosis and treatment of sleep disorders. 390 66

The evaluation and treatment of sleep disorders represent an important area of research and clinical practice. Attempts to improve disturbed sleep are often needed, and treatment of the primary disorder associated with the insomnia, rather than the symptom of sleep disturbance, is always desirable. Our insight into sleep physiology and homeostasis is, however, rather limited. There may be several causative factors behind sleeping problems, and the treatment must be chosen accordingly. Of the drugs marketed, benzodiazepines are the drugs of choice, but other types of drugs are often useful in selected patients. The pharmacological profiles of the various types of benzodiazepines differ markedly from one another. The rate of distribution of the drug determines the duration of effects after a single dose whereas the elimination half-life is the determining factor during continuous intake. A treatment programme based on the individual patient and the type of sleep disturbance is usually necessary. An understanding of the quality and occurrence of such phenomena as carry-over, withdrawal and rebound effects as well as dependence problems reduces treatment complications and unnecessary use of sleeping pills. A good patient/doctor relationship is also needed to minimize the potential risks as well as the unnecessary use of hypnotic drugs.
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PMID:Drug treatment of insomnia: indications and complications. 390 22

The effective treatment of patients with a complaint of insomnia requires an appreciation of the range of etiologic factors underlying the symptom of insomnia, as well as sound clinical judgment and appropriate application of available therapeutics. Systematic inquiry regarding nocturnal and daytime aspects of a patient's life is helpful in narrowing the range of diagnostic possibilities. Specialized evaluation at a sleep disorders center may be useful in cases of chronic insomnia that remain refractory to initial interventions.
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PMID:Evaluation of insomnia. 396 36

The authors briefly review prevalence and current treatment trends of sleep disorders in the elderly, underlining the need for the development of a more suitable hypnotic for this population. The use of L-tryptophan (LT) as a physiologic hypnotic in aged responders is considered and the hypnotic effect of 1- to 4-g bedtime doses on ten male inpatients and outpatients aged 30 to 72 years is evaluated. Results suggest a dramatic and sustained relief of insomnia for 3 weeks in 30 per cent of the patients and the absence of side effects in 90 per cent of those who took the agent. The authors conclude that despite its long therapeutic history, L-tryptophan has not been more successful because only a minority of humans appear to be responsive to its hypnotic actions. They point to the need to replicate their current preliminary observations in a larger controlled geriatric population and to delineate biochemical characteristics of LT responders in order to increase LT sensitivity in some patients and convert nonresponders to responders.
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PMID:L-tryptophan as a hypnotic in special patients. 398 92

An inability to sleep or sleep prematurely ended or interrupted by periods of wakefulness (insomnia) are some of the most frequent complaints heard from patients. Insomnia can be situationally related or persistent in nature. Persistent insomnia may be associated with biological rhythm disturbances, drug dependency, psychophysiologic abnormalities, psychiatric disturbance, sleep apnea syndrome or nocturnal myoclonus. This article describes these pathologies, gives clues toward differential diagnosis, suggests patient subgroups that would benefit from referral for specialized evaluation at a sleep disorder center and describes current treatment options.
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PMID:Sleep disorders: insomnias. 404 25

The efficacy and safety of midazolam compared with oxazepam and placebo were investigated in 50 hospital patients (19 males, 31 females; age range 21 to 74 years) in a double-blind parallel group study. On the first 2 nights (selection phase), patients received only placebo. On the next 5 nights, they received either 15 mg midazolam, 15 mg oxazepam or placebo. They received no medication on the last 2 nights and were kept under observation (withdrawal phase). Compared with placebo, both benzodiazepines shortened sleep onset latency, reduced the number of awakenings and improved sleep quality. All 3 compounds were well tolerated with only few, mild side-effects (headache, nausea) in the 2 verum groups. Psychometric performance was not impaired on the morning following drug administration. The overall patients' assessments showed 80% satisfaction with midazolam, 66% with oxazepam and 10% with placebo. Midazolam and oxazepam yielded similar results, although midazolam induced sleep more rapidly and was rated more favourably by the patients. Midazolam, in a dose of 15 mg, is thus an effective, fast-acting, well-tolerated hypnotic without residual effects and is suitable for the treatment of insomnia of mild to moderate degree. Oxazepam in a dose of 15 mg is also well suited for the treatment of sleep disorders, particularly if a rapid onset of action is not required.
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PMID:Comparative clinical studies with midazolam, oxazepam and placebo. 613 69

Symptomatic treatment of transient insomnias is advisable, for without treatment these sleep disorders may become persistent. The drugs of choice are the benzodiazepine hypnotics, which have minimal side effects when used for short periods in properly selected patients. The three such drugs currently available in the United States differ enough in half-life, absorption rate, and potential for drug interactions that they cannot be used interchangeably. A sound selection matches the drug's characteristics with the patient's needs. Transient insomnias must be differentiated from persistent insomnias, which are more resistant to treatment. Hypnotic agents not only are more likely to be ineffective against persistent insomnias but also have greater potential for exacerbating a sleep-related breathing disorder, producing a drug-dependent insomnia, or contributing to drug misuse.
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PMID:Insomnia and its treatment. When are hypnotics justified? 614 30

The hypnotic effects of l-tryptophan (1 g), secobarbital (100 mg), and flurazepam (30 mg), relative to placebo, were evaluated in a sample of 54 outpatient chronic insomniacs with a major complaint of sleep maintenance insomnia. Three mutually exclusive complaints about sleep maintenance were identified. Analysis of the data from the tryptophan condition indicated that the single factor type of sleep maintenance complaint accounted for 100% of the variance in a measure reflecting a single overall assessment of tryptophan's hypnotic effect, and 52% of variance in a second, repeated measure assessing subjects' day-to-day experience with the treatment. It is concluded that the distinctions in sleep maintenance insomnia identified are likely to be clinically meaningful. The distinct profiles of the tryptophan responders and nonresponders are described, and the utility of the distinctions in understanding the differential effects of flurazepam and secobarbital discussed. The implications of the finding for a number of sleep disorder-related issues were addressed.
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PMID:Selectivity in response to L-tryptophan among insomniac subjects: a preliminary report. 635 23

The use of tricyclic antidepressants as opposed to hypnotics in treating insomnia is reviewed. Available data indicate that TCAs alleviate sleep disturbances related to depression (often before antidepressant effects are seen) and, in selected cases, may prove effective in disturbed sleep related to sleep apnea, fibrositis, and sleep related bruxism, as well as in adults with childhood onset insomnia or a history of hyperkinesis. However, TCAs share many of the problems reported for hypnotics, as well as having some potentially serious side effects not present with benzodiazepines. The need for determination of the etiology of sleep disorders, and specific pharmacotherapy directed toward identified causes rather than the symptom of insomnia, is stressed.
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PMID:Tricyclic antidepressants in the treatment of insomnia. 635 74

A systematic review of the 19th-century literature related to sleep disorders revealed that patients with obstructive sleep apnea were vividly described in the second half of the century. Also, there were documented observations on the linkage between airway obstructions and noisy snoring, nocturnal insomnia, and excessive somnolence. The coining of the term "pickwickian" to describe an obese somnolent patient was made in 1889 during a clinical presentation of a patient with sleep apnea. Respiratory failure in sleep because of "failure of the chest and diaphragmatic movements" was defined as a specific sleep disorder by Silas Weir Mitchell in 1890. The two main reasons for overlooking the sleep apnea syndrome for so long have been misdiagnosis of patients with sleep apnea as having narcolepsy and skepticism regarding the validity of excessive somnolence as a clinical sign.
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PMID:Nothing new under the moon. Historical accounts of sleep apnea syndrome. 638 98


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