N-acetylaspartate metabolism in neural cells.
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Amidohydrolases↗
Biomedical subjects
Timothy Craig
Publications and source records attributed to Timothy Craig.
Effects of poor sleep in allergic rhinitis.
PURPOSE OF REVIEW: Allergic rhinitis affects a large portion of the population. These patients often suffer from daytime fatigue, both as a result of the mechanics of the nasal airway in patients with allergic rhinitis as well as through central effects on sleep by immune mediators. By understanding these mechanisms and by becoming familiar with effective treatments for allergic rhinitis that are beneficial in alleviating rather than worsening daytime somnolence, physicians may improve patient quality of life. RECENT FINDINGS: Children with rhinitis and snoring have poorer school performance compared with controls. The role of rhinitis in chronic fatigue remains controversial despite an increase in literature on this subject. The role of immune mediators on rhinitis and sleep is evolving as well. Nasal steroids effectively treat rhinitis and improve daytime fatigue. Second-generation antihistamines are preferred to first-generation antihistamines based on efficacy and safety studies. SUMMARY: Understanding the relationship between rhinitis in sleep abnormalities and subsequent daytime fatigue is still developing. Nasal steroids are the mainstay of treatment, but the role of future agents is promising although undefined.
Administration, Intranasal↗
Chronic fatigue syndrome: evaluation and treatment.
Severe fatigue is a common complaint among patients. Often, the fatigue is transient or can be attributed to a definable organic illness. Some patients present with persistent and disabling fatigue, but show no abnormalities on physical examination or screening laboratory tests. In these cases, the diagnosis of chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS) should be considered. CFS is characterized by debilitating fatigue with associated myalgias, tender lymph nodes, arthralgias, chills, feverish feelings, and postexertional malaise. Diagnosis of CFS is primarily by exclusion with no definitive laboratory test or physical findings. Medical research continues to examine the many possible etiologic agents for CFS (infectious, immunologic, neurologic, and psychiatric), but the answer remains elusive. It is known that CFS is a heterogeneous disorder possibly involving an interaction of biologic systems. Similarities with fibromyalgia exist and concomitant illnesses include irritable bowel syndrome, depression, and headaches. Therefore, treatment of CFS may be variable and should be tailored to each patient. Therapy should include exercise, diet, good sleep hygiene, antidepressants, and other medications, depending on the patient's presentation.
Diagnosis, Differential↗
Poor sleep and daytime somnolence in allergic rhinitis: significance of nasal congestion.
Patients with allergic rhinitis frequently present with symptoms of nasal congestion, runny nose, sneezing, daytime somnolence and fatigue associated with decreased cognitive performance and impaired quality of life. Recent research has suggested that daytime somnolence in allergic rhinitis can be attributed to chronic inflammation of the nasal mucosa leading to nasal congestion and obstructed nasal passageways resulting in disturbed sleep. Treating daytime somnolence due to allergic rhinitis requires a reduction in obstruction caused by nasal congestion. Currently available therapy for allergic rhinitis includes topical corticosteroids, sedating and nonsedating antihistamines, topical cromolyn sodium (sodium cromoglycate), decongestants, immunotherapy and topical ipratropium bromide. The effectiveness of antihistamines in patients with allergic rhinitis has long been established. However, results of placebo-controlled trials investigating the effects of azelastine on sleep and daytime somnolence have produced conflicting results. Sleep improved with azelastine therapy, but there was a lack of evidence that azelastine significantly affected daytime sleepiness, sleep severity and nasal congestion. Sedating antihistamines exacerbate daytime somnolence and should be avoided in patients with allergic rhinitis. In a separate study, desloratadine failed to benefit sleep, but did not worsen daytime somnolence. Topical nasal cromolyn sodium is inconvenient to use and is unlikely to have a major effect on nasal congestion. Decongestants do decrease nasal congestion but the effect this has on sleep has not been adequately studied. Recent research has shown that topical corticosteroids are an effective treatment for alleviating nasal congestion secondary to allergic rhinitis. However, few studies have assessed the effect of topical corticosteroids on daytime fatigue and sleep. In 20 patients with allergic rhinitis and symptoms of daytime sleepiness, flunisolide significantly improved sleep quality and congestion but daytime sleepiness was not significantly improved. A similar study with fluticasone propionate showed improvement in nasal congestion and sleep but there was no significant change in objective sleep measurements recorded on polysomnography. Further research involving objective measures of sleep quality is necessary to determine the efficacy of medications in the treatment of allergic rhinitis associated with fatigue and daytime somnolence.
Administration, Intranasal↗
The effect of intranasal steroid budesonide on the congestion-related sleep disturbance and daytime somnolence in patients with perennial allergic rhinitis.
Patients with perennial allergic rhinitis (PAR) often present with nasal congestion, poor sleep, daytime fatigue, and daytime somnolence. Pharmacologic therapy that reduces nasal congestion should improve the PAR patients' sleep quality and reduce daytime somnolence and fatigue. Our hypothesis is that intranasal steroid budesonide (BUD), an effective topical anti-inflammatory agent, will reduce nasal congestion and improve the patients' quality of life. The objective of this study was to determine whether topical steroid BUD improves sleep, daytime somnolence, and fatigue in patients with PAR. Twenty-six subjects were enrolled in a double-blind, placebo-controlled, crossover study using Balaam's design. Patients were treated with intranasal steroid spray BUD or placebo. The Epworth Sleepiness Scale, daily diary, and questionnaires were used as tools for subjective data analysis, which focused on nasal symptoms, sleep quality, daytime somnolence, and fatigue. The results were summarized and compared by PROC MIXED in SAS. The daily diary data showed significant improvement in self-reported nasal congestion (p = 0.04) and daytime sleepiness (p = 0.01) and a trend in reduction of daytime fatigue (p = 0.08) in the BUD group compared with the placebo group. The sleep measures showed statistically significant improvement in total sleep measures score (p = 0.04), "sleep compared with absolute" (p = 0.01), and "refreshing and restorative" sleep (p = 0.04) in the active group. Nasal corticosteroid BUD is effective in reducing nasal congestion, daytime somnolence, and daytime fatigue, and improving sleep quality in PAR.
Administration, Intranasal↗
Chronic cough: an interactive case discussion.
The following case was presented at the Eastern Allergy Conference May 2005 to each of four small group sessions in an attempt to incorporate problem-based learning (PBL) into the curriculum of the conference for the first time in its 18-year history. Before this, the format had always been non-stop lectures for four days. The attempt to use PBL in breakout sessions was due to the well-documented improved learning experience with PBL demonstrated by multiple studies in the literature of PBL for CME. This PBL case on an adult who presents with a "chronic cough" was linked to a series of three didactic lectures to reinforce the differential diagnoses in this patient. The three lectures followed the PBL breakout sessions (during the morning of the conference) and were entitled Laryngeal Pharyngeal Reflux (LPR), Chronic Sinusitis: A Surgical Perspective and Chronic Cough. Although the best learning scenario for this case occurs when there is interaction with one's peers, review of this case and answering the questions that were posed by the facilitators can still provide a great learning experience.
Adult↗