Course Objective
- Recognize the history of sleep medicine, leading to the uncovering of the theories about why we sleep.
- Appreciate the causes of sleepiness in specific patient populations most likely to be encountered in primary care practice and by specialists in family medicine, primary care, psychiatry, neurology, pediatrics, and geriatric medicine.
- Review the key sleep disorders common among the pediatric patient population and outline key diagnostic tools and treatments in resolving these.
- Identify the unique mechanism of narcolepsy and identify diagnostic approaches for accurate evaluation.
- Understand the pharmacological management in managing excessive sleepiness in the setting of central disorders of hypersomnia, including narcolepsy and idiopathic hypersomnia.
- Comprehend the underlying physiologic basis of sleep and wakefulness.
- Appreciate the clinical evaluation of sleep-disordered breathing, particularly physical exam findings and new diagnostic approaches based on emerging data on the use of home monitoring equipment and wearable devices.
- Discuss the conservative management techniques to address obstructive sleep apnea, including the use of surgical interventions, upper airway stimulation, and pharmacologic interventions.
- Recognizing the critical importance contributes to cognitive decline and might also increase the risk of Alzheimer’s disease dementia by increasing the β-amyloid burden.
- Appraise the underlying mechanisms for generating sleep-wake circadian rhythm and recognize disturbances in circadian rhythms and their impact on health.
- Investigate the causes of sleep problems in older adults and their potential treatments in patients with neurodegenerative disorders.