News, Stories and Updates From the World of Sleep
SomnusNooze Topics: All Hypersomnias

Ask the Doctor: What Are the Emory Sleep Researchers Looking for in Spinal Fluid?
Why do Emory University’s sleep researchers perform spinal tap procedures on sleepy patients? What is the “sleepy juice” they’re looking for in the spinal fluid? Does it have anything to do with prostaglandins? An expert answers all these... read >

How Does GABA Affect Hypersomnia? Part 2 of Our Video Series Explains!
What is GABA? What role does it play in sleep? And is GABA activity increased by something in the cerebrospinal fluid of people with hypersomnia? We are very pleased to present Part 2 of a new two-part series by neuroscientist Amanda Freeman, PhD, of... read >
What Is GABA? How Does It Affect Hypersomnia? A New Video Series Explains!
Amanda Freeman, PhD What is GABAA? And how does it affect hypersomnia? We are very pleased to present a two-part video series by neuroscientist Amanda Freeman, PhD, of Emory University, which describes, in layman’s terms, exactly how y-aminobutyric... read >

Ask the Doctor: Do Women’s Hormones Affect Their Hypersomnia?
Can menstrual cycles trigger hypersomnia episodes? Can taking hormones tame these symptoms? And does IH affect more women than men? We are delighted to have our Medical Advisory Board member Dr. Isabelle Arnulf, a Professor of Neurology at the Sorbonne... read >

Ask the Doctor: What Is POTS, and What Does It Have to Do with Hypersomnia?
Although the Hypersomnia Foundation is not currently accepting new submissions for its Ask the Doctor series, we are working to answer previously submitted questions that are of general interest to our hypersomnia community. Today we have Dr. Mitchell... read >

Antibiotic May Decrease EDS in GABA-Related Hypersomnia
A study of clarithromycin in the treatment of GABA-related hypersomnia indicates that this drug may be effective in some patients with idiopathic hypersomnia (IH), narcolepsy without cataplexy, and subjective hypersomnia. Background The US Food and... read >

Summary of Research into Clarithromycin as a Hypersomnia Treatment
GABA is known to promote sleep and decreased consciousness, and many patients with CNS hypersomnia have been found to have endogenous GABA-A receptor hyper-reactivity. Flumazenil, a known GABA-A antagonist, has been shown to reduce symptoms in these... read >