Treating Comorbid Sleep, Neurological Disorders

Neurology Advisor

Michael O'Leary

The Challenges of Diagnosing and Treating Sleep
Disorders

The range of sleep disorders neurologists treat is wide and includes insomnia, sleep apnea, restless legs syndrome, and narcolepsy.

Primary sleep disorders are caused by endogenous abnormalities in the mechanisms regulating the sleep-wake cycle. Secondary sleep disorders stem from comorbid conditions, including neurodegenerative diseases such as Parkinson's disease or Alzheimer's disease, or psychiatric disorders that can cause disruptions in  normal sleep-wake mechanisms.¹ (published site)

Diagnosing and Treating Rapidly Progressive Dementias

Neurology Advisor

Michael O'Leary

November 10, 2014

Dementia may result from as many as 40 different diseases and conditions ranging from dietary deficiencies to inherited diseases, according to the Encyclopedia of Mental Disorders.¹
With that, the definition of dementia has broadened over time from a focus on memory loss to a focus on impairment in one or more cognitive domains — particularly memory, language, frontal executive function, organizing, planning, and multitasking — that is severe enough to interfere with a person's daily function.¹
(published site)

Diagnosing Deep Venous Thrombosis

John Neil, MD,
SMIL radiologist

SMIL Radiology Report
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the precise number of people affected by deep vein thrombosis and pulmonary embolism is unknown, but estimates range from 300,000 to 600,00 people in the United States. 

The disease course of acute deep vein thrombosis (DVT) ranges from complete resolution over time to embolization to scarring with varying degrees of obstruction, vein damage and malfunctioning venous valves. (published site) 

Personalized Schizophrenia Treatment Possible with Genomic Testing

Psychiatry Advisor

Michael O'Leary

Personalized Schizophrenia Treatment Possible
with Genomic Testing

Scientists have long known that schizophrenia runs in families. The illness occurs in 1%  of the general population but in 10% of people who have a first-degree relative with the condition, according to the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH).

People with schizophrenia tend to have higher rates of rare genetic mutations involving hundreds of different genes that may disrupt brain development, researchers have found.

However, known gene variations that contribute to schizophrenia appear to have only a small effect on disease risk. (published site)

Sleep Problems Often Coexist with Psychiatric Disorders

Psychiatry Advisor

Michael O'Leary

Exploring comorbid sleep disorders in psychiatric 

disorders

Sleep disorders and circadian misalignment are present in many psychiatric disorders, including depression, bipolar disorder, and schizophrenia.1

There are two types of sleep: non-rapid eye-movement (NREM) sleep and rapid eye-movement (REM) sleep. Over the course of a sleep period, NREM and REM sleep alternate cyclically.2 This basic structural organization is referred to as sleep architecture.

Two major processes – homeostatic drive and circadian rhythm, regulate the sleep-wake system. Homeostatic drive determines how much sleep is needed, and the circadian rhythm optimizes the ability to achieve that sleep at night.1-2

(published site)

Identifying Fast-Acting Treatments for Resistant Depression

Psychiatry Advisor

Michael O'Leary

July 11, 2014

Identifying Fast-Acting Treatments
for Resistant Depression

A NIMH initiative aims to find faster-acting antidepressants in order to treat patients with severe depression that requires urgent treatment.

Current antidepressant medications often take a few weeks to work, creating an urgent need for improved and faster-acting antidepressant treatments for patients with severe, life-threatening forms of depression.

Recognizing this need, the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) established the Rapidly-Acting Treatments for Treatment-Resistant Depression (RAPID) research project.
(Published site)

Scottsdale Radiology Report, Winter 2014

SMIL Radiology Report

Scottsdale Medical Imaging's Radiology Report keeps referring physicians informed of imaging techniques and benefits offered by the group. It is a printed publication available online in PDF form on the company's website.

In addition to radiologists providing 24/7 medical image reading coverage at Scottsdale Healthcare hospitals, Scottsdale Medical Imaging operates 14 state-of-the-art outpatient imaging centers including their Interventional Radiology Clinic which provides patients minimally invasive treatments for a broad range of health conditions, often on an outpatient basis. 

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