Below are a few of the recent articles submitted both by members and collegues of the International TMJ and Sleep Medicine Network.
Sleep apnea as a cause of bedwetting?Author: Robert Steele, MD
While most children with bedwetting have no medical reasons for doing so, there is a small subset of children who begin bedwetting after developing sleep apnea. Read More
Surgery or Dental Appliance for Obstructive Sleep Apnea?Author: Karl E. Miller - American Family Physician
About 1 to 4 percent of middle-aged men have sleep apnea. The prevalence of this disorder increases with age up to 60 years. Patients with obstructive sleep apnea have excessive daytime sleepiness and decreased cognitive performance. Read More
Sleep Apnea, Symptoms, Causes, Diagnosis & TreatmentAuthor:
90% of people who have sleep apnea don't know that they have it. Usually it is the bed partner who first notices that the person is struggling to breathe during sleep. Diagnosis and treatment can dramatically improve quality of life, asleep and awake and sleep apnea can be life-threatening. Read More
Migraines in pregnancyAuthor: ITSMN
Migraine is an extremely common disorder, affecting about 18% of women. Because of the various factors influencing the condition, the diagnosis and treatment of migraine is not a simple matter. During pregnancy, these problems are further complicated because of the additional precautions that are necessary. The frequency of migraine attacks has actually been shown to decrease during pregnancy. In a study carried out by researchers at the Institute of Nervous Diseases at the University of Rome, the results confirmed previous studies, that during pregnancy, migraine sufferers had fewer attacks than before their pregnancy. As the pregnancy progressed, the attacks became fewer and fewer, so that during the last three months, 80% of the patients in the study experienced no attacks at all. Not only did the frequency of attacks decrease, but also, the intensity of the pain was not as severe. Read More
FDA says pills can cause 'sleep-driving' Author: The Associated Press., March 14 2007
All prescription sleeping pills may sometimes cause sleep-driving, federal health officials warned Wednesday, almost a year after the bizarre side effect first made headlines when Rep. Patrick Kennedy crashed his car after taking Ambien. Read More
Updated Guidelines Address Use of Oral Appliances for Sleep Apnea CME Author: News: Laurie Barclay, MD - CME Author: Charles Vega, MD, FAAFP
An expert task force from The American Academy of Sleep Medicine (AASM) updated their 1995 guidelines on the use of oral appliances (OAs) for the treatment of obstructive sleep apnea (OSA). The new practice parameter, which is based on an accompanying review of extensive evidence in the scientific literature, is published in the February 1 issue of Sleep. Read More
Oral Appliance Therapy for Obstructive Sleep Apnea Author: Kathleen Ferguson
In the last decade there has been an explosion of interest in using oral appliances to treat obstructive sleep apnea (OSA). Based upon available evidence they generally have been recommended for the treatment of mild OSA or simple snoring (1, 2). Oral appliances are appealing because they are simple to use, reversible, portable, and appear to be quite safe (although long-term safety data are lacking). Anterior mandibular positioners are the most commonly used appliances and the best studied. Read More
Sleep Apnea In Stroke Patients Predicts Poor OutcomeAuthor: ITSMN
Almost three quarters of patients who have suffered an ischemic stroke may have obstructive sleep apnea, a new study indicates. Its results also suggest that patients with sleep apnea have significantly worse functional outcomes after stroke than do patients without apnea. If continuing investigations demonstrate that this association holds true when larger numbers of patients are included, the researchers hope to begin an interventional study to establish whether treating obstructive sleep apnea could improve outcomes for stroke patients. The data were presented at the 2001 Scientific Sessions of the American Heart Association.[1] Read More
Sleep apnea raises stroke risk, study findsAuthor: ITSMN
Moderate to severe cases of the nighttime breathing problem known as obstructive sleep apnea significantly increases the risk of suffering a stroke, according to a study to be presented at the American Thoracic Society International Conference on May 23. Read More
Dental Appliances Effective in Treating Obstructive Sleep ApneaAuthor: American Academy of Otolaryngology Head and Neck Surgery
New data presented today at the Annual Meeting of the American Academy of Otolaryngology confirm that specialized oral appliances are a viable option to counter the devastating effects of obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) and new FDA-approved technologies for home-based sleep studies are a valuable tool to diagnose and assess the effectiveness of the therapy. Read More
What Are Temporomandibular Disorders?Author: ITSMN
You may have seen articles about TMD or temporomandibular (jaw) disorders, also called TMJ syndrome. Perhaps you have even felt pain sometimes in your jaw area, or maybe your dentist or physician has told you that you have TMD. Read More
In Search of SleepAuthor: Kathy McCleary
We seem to be too busy to get enough sleep. On average, Americans sleep roughly 7 hours a night, 1 to 2 fewer hours per night than they did 40 years ago. And when we do hit the sack, sleep doesn’t necessarily follow. No wonder my husband and I sometimes feel like zombies. Worse, there could be serious health repercussions due to our lack of shut-eye. Here’s the latest research on how sleep deprivation affects your body and mind, and what you can do to solve the most-common sleep problems—from insomnia and snoring to apnea and restless legs syndrome. Read More
Cardiovascular and Sleep-Related Consequences of Temporomandibular DisorderAuthor: Allen W. Cowley, Jr., Ph.D
The term TMD refers to a collection of medical and dental conditions affecting the temporomandibular joint (TMJ) and/or muscles of mastication, as well as contiguous tissue components. Symptoms range from occasional discomfort to debilitating pain and severely compromised jaw function. The masticatory apparatus is not only involved in chewing and swallowing but also in other critical tasks, including breathing and talking. Specific etiologies such as trauma and degenerative arthritides underlie some forms of TMD but there is no common etiology or biological explanation. TMD is hence comprised of a heterogeneous group of health problems whose signs and symptoms are overlapping but not identical. Read More