June 2007

Nominate a Fellow Section Member for Specialty Practitioner of the Year
The Sleep Section recognizes one of its own every year at the AARC International Respiratory Congress with a Specialty Practitioner of the Year Award, and now is the time to submit your nominations for the 2007 honor. You can find the nomination form on the SECTION WEB SITE.

AARC Works to Protect Respiratory Care License in States Considering Polysomnography Licensure
Legislation pending in Tennessee and North Carolina to license practitioners in polysomnography is receiving the attention of AARC leaders, who are actively working with members in both states to ensure that patient safety and quality assurance provisions are included and that the respiratory care license is not compromised by the legislation. The Association’s “Guidance Document for Reviewing Polysomnography Legislation” notes that: “The AARC’s support of a legislative revision of Respiratory Care Practice Acts that will provide a limited license for credentialed polysomnographers is the preferred way to address this scope of practice issue.” The document goes on to clearly outline the Association’s position and how to determine if a piece of legislation meets the AARC objective. (The guidance document will be published in the Summer issue of the Section Bulletin.)

MMTS Beats SNS for Central Sleep Apnea
Researchers from the Mayo Clinic find a multi-modality titration study (MMTS) is more successful in determining an effective treatment for central sleep apnea patients than the traditional split night study (SNS). The research compared results for 66 patients who underwent a SNS and 49 who underwent an MMTS. While SNS resulted in a successful treatment on the first night for 12.1% of the patients, MMTS resulted in a successful treatment for 38.8%. Following a failed trial of CPAP, the most successful treatment was adaptive servo-ventilation. The authors believe these findings show MMTS is an effective alternative to the SNS, providing for faster diagnosis and treatment plans while reducing the need for unnecessary testing. The report appeared in the June 1 Epub edition of Sleep & Breathing. READ ABSTRACT

Mouth Appliance Improves Snoring
A new study in the May issue of Otolaryngology - Head and Neck Surgery finds good results for a mouth appliance designed to reduce snoring and improve sleep apnea symptoms by moving the lower jaw forward. Patients who used the device experienced fewer snores per hour, quieter snores, and a decrease in the percentage of palatal snoring events. Oxygen desaturation events also declined among the group. The authors believe more study is warranted to find out how oral appliances work to relieve snoring and to look at the dynamic relationships within the pharyngeal airway in people with obstructive sleep apnea and snoring problems. READ PRESS RELEASE

ADHD, Tic Disorder Affect Kids’ Sleep in Different Ways
Sleep patterns associated with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), tic disorder (TD), and their coexistence (ADHD + TD comorbidity) are outlined in a new study published in this month’s Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry. Researchers subjected four groups of children to polysomnography: those with ADHD alone, those with TD alone, those with both disorders, and healthy controls. Results showed children with ADHD demonstrated an increase in rapid eye movement sleep (REM). Those with TD exhibited lower sleep efficiency and elevated arousal index. Those with both disorders had both an increase in REM sleep and lower sleep efficiency and elevated arousal index, leading the authors to conclude, “When coexisting, the two disorders alter the sleep pattern in an additive manner, suggesting a high impact on clinical and therapeutic perspectives.” READ ABSTRACT

RBD May Be Early Sign of Dementia
Working with colleagues around the world, Mayo Clinic researchers have uncovered a link between violent rapid eye movement sleep behavior disorder (RBD) and eventual onset of parkinsonism or dementia. The association is believed to be caused by faulty synuclein proteins. These proteins, which are associated with synapses in the brain, are present in abnormal clumps in some forms of dementia, including Lewy body dementia, Parkinson’s disease, and multiple system atrophy. The researchers discovered the link after following RBD patients for many years and noting that many of them eventually developed these conditions. Upon autopsy, they all showed signs of Lewy bodies. READ PRESS RELEASE

Upcoming Educational Opportunities from the AARC

• Summer Meetings: July 13-17, Reno/Lake Tahoe, NV
• Asthma Educator Certification Preparation Course, August 25-26, Charlotte, NC