Diseases of the nervous system (neurology)

Sleep disturbance: epidemiology

The prevalence of sleep disorders and complaints of poor sleep has been the subject of several studies. Surveys conducted in the US, European countries and Australia showed that between 30 and 40% of adults report sleep disturbances, or at least some degree of dissatisfaction with sleep, that occurred during the preceding year.

Sleep disturbance

Several epidemiological studies have demonstrated the widespread prevalence of sleep disorders. Sleep disorders often cause people suffering, reduce the quality of life and productivity of their activities, often cause death (in accidents caused by sleeping drivers), carry a variety of other health threats.

Tourette's Syndrome: Treatment

First of all, the doctor must decide whether pharmacotherapy for a given severity of symptoms is indicated. Tests of drugs with Tourette's syndrome are complicated by a wave-like course with exacerbations and remissions that do not necessarily occur under the influence of drugs. For short-term fluctuations in the severity of symptoms, it is not necessary to respond with an immediate change in the treatment regimen

Tourette's syndrome: diagnosis

Transit ticks are common - about a quarter of schoolchildren. The diagnosis is established with the preservation of ticks for at least 4 weeks, but not more than 12 months. The development of chronic tics or Tourette's syndrome may be preceded by several episodes of transient tics. Chronic ticks (XT) include motor or vocal tics (but not their combination), which persist for more than 1 year.

Tourette's syndrome: symptoms

Ticks include a wide repertoire of motor or vocal acts, which the patient feels as violent. Nevertheless, they can be delayed by willpower for a while. The extent to which tics can be delayed varies depending on their severity, type and timing characteristics. Many simple and fast-performing ticks (for example, quick following one after another blinking movements or twitching of the head) can not be controlled

Tourette's Syndrome: What's Happening?

It is believed that Turetg's syndrome is inherited as a monogenic autosomal dominant disease with high (but not complete) penetrance and variable expressiveness of the pathological gene, manifested in the development of not only Tourette's syndrome, but also OCD, chronic ticks-XT and transient tics-TT. Genetic analysis shows that XT (and possibly TT) can be a manifestation of the same genetic defect as Tourette's syndrome. In a study of twins, it was found that in monozygotic pairs the level of concordance is higher (77-100% for all ticks) than in dizygotic vapors - 23%. At the same time, identical twins have pronounced discordance in terms of the severity of tics. A genetic linkage analysis is currently underway to identify the chromosomal location of a possible Tourette syndrome gene.

Tourette's syndrome

Tourette's syndrome is a neuropsychiatric disease that begins in childhood and manifests itself in multiple motor and vocal tics, as well as a combination of behavioral disorders that often dominate the clinical picture. The latter include symptoms of OCD and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).

Trichotillomania

Most often plucked hair on the head, eyebrows, eyelashes, limbs, pubis. Some patients eat their hair (trichotilophagy). Spotted areas, devoid of hair, can become noticeable around - it forces you to wear a wig or resort to intense camouflage measures. After plucking, patients do not feel satisfaction, but rather are concerned about the appearance defect or are dissatisfied because of the inability to control their actions.

Dysmorphophobia

Of the disorders of the obsessive-compulsive spectrum, attention is drawn to dysmorphophobia (DMF). The main symptom of dysmorphophobia is concern about an imaginary or insignificant defect in the exterior. In studies conducted in accordance with the DSM-IV criteria, DMP was detected in 12% of patients with OCD.

Obsessive Compulsive Disorder: Treatment

In the past, obsessive-compulsive disorder was considered a condition resistant to treatment. Traditional methods of psychotherapy, based on psychoanalytic principles, rarely brought success. Disappointed and the results of the use of various drugs. However, in the 1980s, the situation changed due to the emergence of new methods of behavioral therapy and pharmacotherapy, the effectiveness of which was confirmed in large-scale studies.

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