1/7. nocturnal paroxysmal dystonia due to a subfrontal cortical dysplasia.The nature and nosology of nocturnal paroxysmal dystonia (NPD) have been controversial. Some authors consider it as a type of parasomnia, akin to night terrors and the official classification of Sleep Disorder includes NPD within the parasomnias [1]. Others have opened for its epileptic nature, although mainly on circumstantial evidence. The location of the epileptogenic area has been so far unknown. A child with NPD was studied extensively, and in spite of normal scalp EEGs, all of his attacks were shown to originate from his right orbitofrontal cortex. Surgical ablation of an unsuspected cortical dysplastic lesion led to full control.- - - - - - - - - - ranking = 1keywords = nature (Clic here for more details about this article) |
2/7. Sleep-related headache syndromes.The relationship between sleep and sleep disorders and headache remains unclear. Clinical experience and numerous studies document some sort of relationship, but the exact nature remains understudied and complex. Changes in sleep duration and sleep quality appear to be capable of affecting headaches of different types. Obstructive sleep apnea can cause or exacerbate headaches in a susceptible person. Obstructive sleep apnea also may cause a specific headache when awakening, which is different from migraine or tension headache and disappears after treatment of the sleep and breathing disturbance. Hypnic headache is another type of sleep-exclusive headache that has been proposed. Hypnic headaches are brief, moderately severe, and affect the elderly primarily.- - - - - - - - - - ranking = 0.5keywords = nature (Clic here for more details about this article) |
3/7. Neurodevelopmental pattern of succinic semialdehyde dehydrogenase deficiency (gamma-hydroxybutyric aciduria).Succinic semialdehyde dehydrogenase (SSADH deficiency) (MIM 271980) is a defect in gamma-aminobutyric acid catabolism, resulting in the accumulation of gamma-hydroxybutyric acid (GHB) and causing neurological and cognitive disorders of varying severity. The non-specific nature and the difficulties in detection of urinary GHB explain why this disorder is largely underdiagnosed. Of 350 patients identified worldwide, to date only six adults with SSADH deficiency have been reported in the literature. Here we describe two additional cases in brothers up to ages 26 and 28 years. This retrospective report sheds light on the clinical features of SSADH deficiency in relation to the physiopathological involvement of GHB, and tries to identify the specific neurodevelopmental pattern of this learning disability.* Features of this are: early impaired psychomotor development with hypotonia and disturbances in motor coordination; impaired development of language, mainly due to poor auditory perception; and seizures and psychotic features in late adolescence or adulthood. Moreover, narcolepsy-like symptoms could be a consistent feature of the disease.- - - - - - - - - - ranking = 0.5keywords = nature (Clic here for more details about this article) |
4/7. The use of clonidine for severe and intractable sleep problems in children with neurodevelopmental disorders--a case series.This paper reports on the use of clonidine for the treatment of severe sleep problems associated with behavioural difficulties in children with neurodevelopmental disabilities. Data were obtained from reviewing the case notes of a series of six children with neurodevelopmental disorders of different nature and severity, presenting with problematic sleep. All children in this group showed maintained improvements in their sleep pattern following the use of clonidine with only mild side-effects reported.- - - - - - - - - - ranking = 0.5keywords = nature (Clic here for more details about this article) |
5/7. The paraconscious.A new concept, the paraconscious, is presented as the third complementary member of the conscious/unconscious paradigm. A form of cognition dating from early intrauterine existence to sometime in the first year of life, the nature of the paraconscious is determined by the incompleteness of developing cognitive structures, giving rise to a form of knowing that does not allow for the generation of voluntarily retrievable mental representations. The paraconscious provides a conceptual framework for the understanding of "conflict-free" psychic development, thereby linking such apparently disparate phenomena as Stoller's core gender identity and primary transsexualism, Bruch's primary anorexia nervosa, night terrors, and ubiquitous convictions such as the belief in telephathy and the survival of death by human consciousness. It has profound implications for the treatment (or nontreatment in the case of primary male transsexualism) of significant psychiatric syndromes and raises crucial questions about the nature of learning during the earliest moments of our cognitive existence, about the nonlinguistic transmission of information and about the origin of certain widely held beliefs.- - - - - - - - - - ranking = 1keywords = nature (Clic here for more details about this article) |
6/7. Clinical features of the exploding head syndrome.Fifty patients suffering from the "exploding head syndrome" are described. This hitherto unreported syndrome is characterised by a sense of an explosive noise in the head usually in the twilight stage of sleep. The associated symptoms are varied, but the benign nature of the condition is emphasised and neither extensive investigation nor treatment are indicated.- - - - - - - - - - ranking = 0.5keywords = nature (Clic here for more details about this article) |
7/7. Hysterical sleep episodes as a manifestation of masked depression.A 55-year-old man suffered from compulsive sleep episodes as a manifestation of masked depression. Although the overt symptoms were conversive in nature, the treatment which finally focused on the depression was followed by disappearance of the patient's recurring sleeping spells for the first time in 4 years. Three methods were used: a) supportive psychotherapy, b) behavior therapy, and c) antidepressive medication. We conclude that the behavior treatment indirectly revealed the masked depression previously concealed by rigid defense mechanisms.- - - - - - - - - - ranking = 0.5keywords = nature (Clic here for more details about this article) |