July 2008

Nominate a Section Member for Specialty Practitioner of the Year
The deadline to nominate section members for our Specialty Practitioner of the Year award is coming up August 31. So take a few moments to consider a worthy member for this important award, then use the nomination form on the SECTION WEB SITE to make your nomination.

Retina Cells Linked to Circadian Clock
Two groups of researchers have discovered cells in the retina that appear to be responsible for resetting the body’s circadian clock on a daily basis. The cells, which sense light but do not play a role in vision, were identified when researchers killed the cells in mice. The mice were still able to see, but their circadian clocks were thrown off balance. The investigators believe targeting these cells could lead to new treatments for insomnia. A report on the studies appeared in the June 11 edition of New Scientist. READ ARTICLE

AASM Hopes to Shape Local Coverage Determinations
The American Academy of Sleep Medicine (AASM) is turning to Correct Coding Solutions LLC, the National Correct Coding Initiative contractor to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), for assistance in assuring local carriers adopt AASM home testing guidelines for home sleep testing. Specifically, the organization wants CMS to clarify ambiguities in the National Coverage Determination and decide which CPT codes can be billed on the same date of service as a G-code. Also high on the AASM list is a request that CMS define the 3 channels for a type IV monitor. The organization is working in support of a separate HCPC code for auto-titrating positive airway pressure (APAP) that would clearly define the conditions under which APAP is appropriate as well. A report on the initiative was published in a recent issue of Sleep Review magazine. READ ARTICLE

New Clues to SIDS
Can prenatal cigarette smoke (CS) exposure disrupt eupneic breathing and depress the breathing responses of neonatal rats to thermal and hypoxic challenges? Yes, report Canadian researchers who performed experiments on 39 rat pups exposed to CS prenatally and 30 exposed to room air. Prenatal exposure to CS increased the risk for gasplike respiration and suggests “the combined effects of prenatal CS exposure and hyperthermia dramatically prolong the time required for neonates to return to eupneic breathing after hypoxia,” write the authors. “These observations provide important evidence of how prenatal CS exposure, hypoxic episodes, and hyperthermia might place infants at higher risk for sudden infant death syndrome.” The study was published in the June 1 issue of the American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine. READ ABSTRACT

Mobile Sleep Testing Comes to the Transportation Industry
Covidien is teaming up with Sleep Pointe to provide sleep apnea management and wellness programs to the transportation industry. The “Unite to Treat Sleep Apnea” initiative will bring sleep testing to truck drivers around the country via 53-foot trailers featuring private bedrooms and bathrooms and a fully functional sleep technician room. According to the company, approximately 28% of commercial truck drivers are affected by sleep apnea, and without treatment they are up to 7 times more likely to be involved in an accident. Proper treatment may also help reduce the risk of other associated diseases, including hypertension, diabetes, and cardiovascular disease. READ PRESS RELEASE