• Sleep Medicine and Psychophysiology
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• v.12 no.2
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• pp.93-97
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• 2005

Nasal obstruction may cause or aggravate sleep disordered breathing but exact pathogenesis is not clear. The possible mechanism could be combination of alteration in upper airway aerodynaimcs, loss of nasal reflex or sensation, effect of mouth opening, and a genetic predisposition. Anatomical narrowing of nasal airway cause more rapid airflow and induce more negative inspiratory air pressure. So, it increases collapsibility of pharyngeal airway. Loss of nasal sensation to airflow block nasal reflex. Mouth opening decreases the activity of pharyngeal airway dilator muscles and narrowing the pharyngeal airway may occur. The treatment of nasal obstruction should be done according to the cause. The causes of nasal obstruction are various from problems of external nasal opening to nasopharynx. Relief of nasal obstruction may not cure sleep disordered breathing always. In some mild obstructive sleep apnea patients, treatment of nasal obstruction only may cure sleep disordered breathing. In some severe sleep apnea patients, treatment of nasal obstruction may increase compliance of continous nasal positive airway pressure.

• Sleep Medicine and Psychophysiology
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• v.12 no.2
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• pp.87-92
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• 2005

Cytokines are the main regulatory molecules of not only immune system but also sleep system. Research on the role of cytokines on sleep has greatly been expanding since the first report of sleep-promoting effects of interleukin-1, the first cytokine molecule. Interleukin-1 and tumor necrosis factor are most widely studied among various cytokines. Studies over about twenty years demonstrate that most cytokines promote sleep but several cytokines inhibit sleep. Slow wave sleep is the main part that cytokines have effects on. Besides normal sleep physiology, cytokines have more major roles on pathophysiology of various sleep disorders. Obstructive sleep apnea is the representative sleep disorder that shows how deeply cytokines are involved in their pathophysiologic mechanisms of sleep disorders. Though there are many controversial issues on this topic, more mysterious part of normal sleep physiology and sleep disorders will be revealed in near future through thorough studies on sleep and cytokine.

• Sleep Medicine and Psychophysiology
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• v.1 no.2
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• pp.182-187
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• 1994

The Authors report a case of sleep paralysis patient who is 25-years old man. He complained that he has been experiencing episode "being suffocated" during sleep and could not move by himself while semiconsciousness state. He was a only son of divorced parents and could not attach anybody from yong childhood. His symptoms was began intermittently after his early teens. Medical history and physical examination revealed no significant finding. A nocturnal polysomnogram showed loss of muscle tone during terminal REM period and sudden hyperventilation attack followed by wake-up. Psychosocial stress and insufficient sleep were presumed to be an etiological factors. Imipramine 50mg per day almost completely relieved symptoms.

• Sleep Medicine and Psychophysiology
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• v.1 no.2
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• pp.193-196
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• 1994

Primary depression with cognitive impairment, referred to as depressive pseudodementia, may be mistaken for a progressive degenerative dementia. Recognition of primary depression is clinically important because of its treatability. To differentiate depression from degenerative dementia, author used brain SPECT. By the result the regional cerebral blood flow(rCBF) in elderly depressed patient was decreased in the right frontal cortex. The pattern of rCBF was different from that of dementia which shows decreased rCBF in bifrontal cortex. By using brain SPECT in depressed elderly patient with cognitive impairment, the discrimination from dementia will be more effective and accurate.

• Sleep Medicine and Psychophysiology
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• v.3 no.2
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• pp.77-89
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• 1996

Data collected to date indicate that sleep apnea syndrome is a risk factor in the development of cardiovascular dysfunction such as systemic hypertension, cardiac arrhythmias, pulmonary hypertension, right heart failure, angina, myocardial infarction, and stroke. Several reports suggest that untreated patients with sleep apnea syndrome have a higher long-term mortality than treated patients and than normal subjects. But there are many controversies concerning the treatment of sleep apnea syndrome, and there is no universally accepted standard for effective treatment. We reviewed the current approaches and options in the medical treatment of sleep apnea syndrome.

• Sleep Medicine and Psychophysiology
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• v.3 no.2
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• pp.56-64
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• 1996

The sleeplessness in childhood is quite different from that in adulthood in terms of causes, developmental process, and treatment. Sleep behavior in childhood is strongly influenced by parental personality and familial and cultural background. In understanding and management of sleeplessness of children, it is especially important to understand the separation anxiety and the ways of its management in bedtime because bedtime routine with children one of separation process from parents. Co-sleeping, parental intervention, transional object and bedtime routines can be appeared in order to reduce the anxiety from bedtime separation. Causes of sleeplessness in infant and toddler are bad sleep-onset association, nocturnal drinking, colic, and food allergy. In preschool and school aged children, limit-setting sleep problem and fears and nightmare can be causes of sleeplessness. When good sleep environment and habits are established sound sleep and more mature personality can be developed.

• Sleep Medicine and Psychophysiology
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• v.12 no.2
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• pp.98-104
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• 2005

Approximately 1% to 3% of all children have obstructive sleep apnea syndrome (OSAS). OSAS in children can lead to a variety of symptoms and sequalae; impairment of development and quality of life, behavioral and personality disturbance, learning problem, cor pulmonale and hypertension. Diagnosis and treatment of OASA for children are different from those for adults in many respects. Adenotonsillar hypertrophy is major cause of childhood OSAS. Overnight polysomnography in a sleep laboratory is the gold standard for diagnosing childhood OSAS. However, because full polysomnography in children may be difficult to obtain, expensive, and inconvenient, other methods to diagnose OSAS have been investigated. Adenotonsillectomy is the most common surgical treatment of childhood OSAS. But if residual symptoms remained after adenotonsillectomy, it should be considered to additional treatment such as weight control, sleep positional change, and continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP).

• Sleep Medicine and Psychophysiology
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• v.13 no.1
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• pp.11-14
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• 2006

Sleep-related behaviors observed in parasomnias can result in serious injuries of patients and/or spouses. Parasomnia is defined as undesirable physical or behavioral phenomenon occurring during sleep. If these disorders are accurately diagnosed, effective treatments are available. Often, these disorders can be even cured. Environmental management for patient and/or spouse safety and good sleep hygiene are the most recommended for individuals behaving abnormally during sleep. The aim of this article is to review the clinical features, diagnosis and treatment of several sleep-related behavior disorders.

• Sleep Medicine and Psychophysiology
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• v.2 no.1
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• pp.44-54
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• 1995

It is very difficult to evaluate sleep disorders by simple history taking, because which covers very comprehensive areas such as psychobiosocial fields. Although polysomnography is used for the method of final diagnosis, systemic history taking and sleep question-aires are still critically important especially in evaluation of insomnia. Proper informations through sleep questionnaires can provide very precise data for effective treatment as well as exact diagnosis. Sleep questionnaires consist of largely four kinds of questionnaires, which are screening questionnaire of sleep disorders, sleep diary and questionnaire of sleep hygine, diagnostic questionnaire for specific sleep disorder and questionnaire of special symptoms of sleep disorders including insomnia, daytime sleepiness, cognitive function, mental symptom and personality, parasomnia, physical illness and sexual function. However, for more conclusive diagnosis especially in excessive daytime sleepiness nocturnal polysomnography and multiple sleep latency test should be performed.

• Sleep Medicine and Psychophysiology
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• v.2 no.1
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• pp.31-43
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• 1995

Recently, the methods that measure and analyze brain electrical activity quantitatively have been available with the rapid development of computer technology. The quantitative electroencephalography(QEEG) is a method of computer-assisted analyzing brain electrical activity. The QEEG allows for a more sensitive, precise and reproducible examination of EEG data than that can be accomplished by conventional EEG. It is possible to compare various EEG parameters each other by using QEEG. Neurometrics, a kind of the quantitative EEG. is to compare EEG characteristics of the patient with normative data to determine in what way the patient's EEG deviates from normality and to discriminate among psychiatric disorders. Nowadays, QEEG is far superior to conventional EEG in its detection of abnormality and in its usefulness in psychiatric differential diagnosis. The abnormal findings of QEEG in various psychiatric disorders are also discussed.