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Sleep Disorders Center

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How to Schedule Sleep Testing

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Overview

Established in 1978, Cleveland Clinic's Sleep Disorders Center was among the first in the nation dedicated to the diagnosis and treatment of sleep disorders in people of all ages. Accredited by the American Academy of Sleep Medicine, Cleveland Clinic's Sleep Disorders Center is staffed by physicians specializing in sleep disorders from a variety of disciplines, including adult and child neurology, pulmonary and critical care medicine, psychology, psychiatry, otolaryngology and dentistry. More than 6000 sleep studies are performed in our laboratories each year.

Sleep Medicine began to develop into an organized medical specialty in the 1970s. Since then, major advances have been made in the diagnosis and treatment of sleep disorders and sleep laboratories are found in most large communities in the United States. However, not all sleep laboratories are accredited and some are accredited for limited services. Despite the proliferation of Sleep Medicine in recent years, many unanswered questions remain about the causes of sleep disorders, the role of genetics, the social, psychological and medical consequences of sleep disorders and chronic sleep deprivation, and the legal issues surrounding sleep disorder symptoms. For that reason, physicians, nurses and technical staff dedicated to the advancement of sleep research in Cleveland Clinic's Sleep Disorders Center are using sleep studies to find the answers to these important questions.

Cleveland Clinic's Sleep Disorders Center is using sleep studies to find the answers to these important questions. You don't need to suffer with poor quality sleep or daytime sleepiness. The first step toward a better night's sleep is a comprehensive evaluation by a Cleveland Clinic Sleep Disorders specialist. Your physician may recommend testing in the sleep laboratory either overnight and/or during the daytime. Once your disorder is diagnosed, a treatment plan will be designed specifically for you. As part of your sleep disorder treatment, your sleep medicine physician may recommend a consultation with a sleep psychologist, psychiatrist, otolaryngologist (ear, nose and throat specialist), dentist or a physician specializing in weight reduction.

News From The Sleep Disorders Center

»Dr. Jessica Vensel-Rundo shares tips for getting better sleep
»Volunteers Needed for RLS Trial

Do You Have Restless Legs Syndrome?

Volunteers needed for a clinical trial

The purpose of this study is to determine whether an investigational medication has an effect on RLS symptoms. The study is open to adults 18 and older who have Restless Legs Syndrome.

Participation involves completing a physical exam, completing questionnaires, and taking study drug for 12 weeks Time commitment: Four study visits over a 12-week period, each lasting about 1-2 hours. Also, you will receive a phone call two weeks after completing study drug, for a total of 14 weeks participation.

Restless Legs Syndrome (RLS) is a common neurological condition affecting up to 10% of the general population. The only FDA approved treatments for the condition are dopamine agonists, which are efficacious at doses much lower than those used to treat Parkinson disease. However, these treatments have significant adverse effects including augmentation of symptoms, heart valve concerns, edema, and behavioral problems. As a result, current treatment relies on cycling through multiple classes of treatment. Rasagiline, as a selective MAO-B inhibitor, has the potential to be a valuable therapy for RLS by reducing the metabolism of dopamine without the incurring the adverse events seen with current treatments or other MAO-B inhibitors (e.g., selegiline).

This is an investigator-initiated clinical trial that will have 2 arms: rasagiline at 1mg/day, and matching placebo. Participants will be randomly allocated to placebo or active. All participants will start at 1mg or matching placebo. Participants who do not tolerate the 1mg dosing will be reduced to 0.5mg and permitted to remain in the study. Additional efficacy and safety assessments will take place at 6 and 12 weeks. The primary efficacy outcome will be change in the International RLS (IRLS) Study Group Rating Scale from baseline to week 12. The primary safety outcome will be the ability of participants to tolerate 0.5-1 mg of rasagiline and complete the 12 week study on assigned treatment.

Cleveland Clinic is one of seven centers participating in the 14-week trial, which will enroll 52 participants nationally. Participants must be age 18 and older, must have an RLS diagnosis, and must be off any related medications for at least 30 days before entering the study. The study requires 4 outpatient visits over 12 weeks, a neurological exam, one blood draw, completion of questionnaires, and two phone calls.

For more information, contact Judy Meinert at: 216-445-7168. Principal Investigator is Nancy Foldvary-Schaefer, DO at Cleveland Clinic Sleep Disorders Center.

»How to fall asleep without drugs: Tips and advice from experts

So you think you might be counting on your Ambien too much. Or, maybe it has side effects that you could do without, and you want to quit.

»Working overnight and establishing a solid sleep routine

Working overnight is not easy, and getting the sleep you need to perform the job may be hard. Dr. Tina Waters treats sleep disorders at Cleveland Clinic, and says she hears a common complaint among all of the overnight workers who step into her office.

»Pediatric sleep services offered at multiple locations and extended hours

For our patients’ convenience, the Pediatric Sleep Disorders Program is offering consultations at multiple locations throughout the community and at extended hours:

  • Pediatric sleep consultations for children of all ages are offered at Cleveland Clinic’s main campus – Fairhill location, Fairview Hospital and Independence Family Health Center. At Independence Family Health Center we also offer an evening clinic for pediatric sleep patients.
  • Pediatric sleep studies are performed at the Sleep Disorders Center at the Fairhill campus for children of all ages and at community sleep labs for patients ages 12 and older.

For more information on these services, locations and appointment hours please call 216.444.2165

»Sleep Disorders book from the Cleveland Clinic
Sleep Disorders from the Cleveland Clinic

Edited by Nancy Foldvary-Schaefer, MD; Jyoti Krishna, MD; Kumar Budur, MD
Published by Oxford University Press, 2010.

Offering a practical approach to the introduction of sleep medicine, this easy to use, concise volume uses actual patient cases from the Cleveland Clinic Sleep Disorders Center. A wide spectrum of diagnoses are included to expose the reader to the extensive range of sleep–wake disorders that a patient can experience. Written in a concise format designed to illustrate the signs and symptoms, diagnostic criteria, workup and routine treatment of patients presenting to the sleep clinic, this volume serves as a practical text perfect for busy primary-care practitioners seeking to improve their knowledge of sleep–wake disorders. Whenever possible, tracings from diagnostic tests, photography, and video clips are provided to enhance clinical presentations and to aid in recognition of abnormalities identified in the sleep laboratory.

»A new study finds 40 percent of police officers have a sleep disorder

The most common sleep disorder found among police offers is obstructed sleep apnea.

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