Sleep Disturbances LInked to Alzheimer's Disease

Recent studies have shown that certain sleep quality disturbances may be experiencing very early signs of Alzheimer's Disease. One study, conducted by Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis and “studied 142 cognitively normal people, ages 45 and older, taking part in long-term studies of memory and aging.” (MedPageToday.com). Researchers studied the amount of time spent in bed and the actual amount of sleep people got each night for two weeks and discovered that participants who had high levels of beta-amyloid42 in the cerebrospinal fluid were at an increased risk for amyloid depositions. Amyloid depositions have been linked to the development of Alzheimer’s disease. According to ScienceNow, “In both humans and mice, levels of a peptide called amyloid-? rise during waking hours and decline during sleep, researchers have found. They also report that sleep-deprived mice are more prone to developing deposits of amyloid-?, called plaques, like those found in the brains of Alzheimer's patients. Although far from proven, the finding suggests that sleep disorders could be a risk factor for Alzheimer's.” While Amyloid-? is found naturally in the brain, an abundance of this molecule may lead to Alzheimer’s later on in life. In studies, sleep deprivation raised the levels of amyloid-? molecules and created more clusters of this molecule in the brain. Experiments at Washington University showed that nocturnal mice slept for 40 minutes during every hour of daylight. However, as soon brain plaques started to form the mice were sleeping for only 30 minutes.The findings suggest that people who are chronically sleep deprived may have higher levels of amyloid-? that make them more susceptible to Alzheimer's disease,” according to a BBC News article. Sleep patterns in Alzheimer’s patients are often already affected and tend to get worse as the disease advances, so taking proper precautions is key. In those people already diagnosed with the disease, sleep disturbances can be caused by factors such as anxiety, depression, restless leg syndrome, or even having inadequate lighting in the room. These studies reinforce two things: One, the importance of sleep in our daily lives and two, the the importance of sleep studies to help identify critically fractured sleep patterns and possibly assist in the treatment of the ever-increasing instances of Alzheimer's Disease today.

Essence of MS

Every hour of every day, someone in the U.S. is diagnosed with multiple sclerosis (MS), a chronic and progressive disease of the central nervous system. While severity, symptoms and the course of the disease vary from person to person, one thing remains constant: a diagnosis of MS is not the catastrophic blow it used to be. Recent advances in the treatment of MS have dramatically brightened the future of the approximate 400,000 people with the disease in America.

In MS, your immune system mistakenly attacks myelin, a fatty substance that insulates your nerves and helps them communicate. Over time, this typically leads to scarring (such as sclerosis or lesions) and hardening of nerve tissue in the spinal cord, brain and eyes. These lesions can cause symptoms such as pain and weakness in the extremities, among other issues.

Most people are diagnosed with MS between the ages of 20 and 50, and women are three times more likely to develop MS than men. While the primary cause of MS remains a mystery, risk factors include Ethnicity (Caucasians of northern European ancestry more common); Family History (If relative has MS, your chances are 2% higher to develop the disease; Climate (Tropical weather less likely than harsher locales); Viruses (Outbreak of of shingles can quadruple the risk of developing MS); and Vitamin D (Lower levels of vitamin D can increase the likelihood of developing MS.

Symptoms and Complications Common early stage signs of MS include vision problems, muscle weakness, stiffness and spasms; limb numbness and tingling; coordination and balance problems and fatigue typically lead to eye pain, depression, cognitive difficulty, swallowing trouble and slurred speech, urinary and bowel issues and sexual dysfunction.

Thoracic Outlet Syndrome "Recurrence"

Thoracic outlet syndrome encompasses a number of lesions which compress the neurovascular supply to the upper extremity. This bundle passes between the scalenus and medius muscles, the clavicle and first rib, and subsequently behind the pectoralis minor muscle. Abnormality of any of these structures, especially a rudimentary cervical rib (with a fibrous band to the first rib) may compress it. Most of the patients are female, often with droopy shoulders and swan necks. It has also been related to hypertension trauma, military backpacks, and abnormal posture with the chin protruded. It has been added by some to the group of "cumulative trauma disorders" (repetitive stress syndrome)exemplified by CTS.

CARPAL TUNNEL SYNDROME
Bilateral Lateral Hand Syndrome (Carpal Tunnel Syndrome) is common in adults, especially women, and is probably the most frequent problem referred for electrodiagnosis. This condition can be related to sustained positions of the upper extremity and is considered a prototype of a work-related condition caused by repetitive motion of the wrist - repetitive stress syndrome. On examination, there may be sensory loss over the lateral three fingers and the adjacent ring finger. Weakness and atrophy (wasting away, dimunition in size) of the muscle may be detectable of the lateral thenar muscles (palm and thumb) which are almost always affected by the median nerve (arm through shoulder). Carpal tunnel is a common yet serious condition which afflicts millions of Americans, many of whom are often untreated.

GUIDELINE FOR DIABETIC NEUROPATHY

Diabetic neuropathy, also called nerve pain, is a condition resulting from nerve damage caused by high blood sugar levels associated with diabetes. The American Academy of Neurology (AAN) has created a guideline for treatment and it has recently reviewed 79 available scientific studies on therapies for diabetic neuropathy over a four year period. While it is universally known that exercise is always considered a key step in the right direction in combating diabetes, the seizure medication pregabalin was found to have strong evidence of effectiveness in this study. Only one non-pharmaceutical therapy, transcutaneous electric nerve stimulation (TENS) – a portable device that sends an electric current to electrodes attached to the skin – was shown to have moderate evidence supporting its effectiveness.