Mayo Clinic Center for Sleep Medicine

Should we tell patients with dream enactment behaviors of their risk of developing Parkinson’s disease or related disorders? And, if so, how should a health care provider deliver this information? In this podcast, we explore ethics and empathy.

When we diagnose REM sleep behavior disorder, we know that there is a risk of the development of Parkinson's disease or related conditions. But how great is the risk?  In this podcast, we discuss how a healthcare provider can help estimate a patient’s risk with specific questions and examination findings.

In the last two podcasts, we discussed how REM sleep behavior disorder can evolve to Parkinson's disease or related conditions and whether we can test for this risk.  In this podcast, we explore the current state of the art in developing possible interventions to prevent this progression.

There has been dramatic progress in developing specific tests for disorders such as Alzheimer disease.  In this podcast, we ask whether we are now at a point when we can (or should) test for Parkinson pathology in patients with dream enactment behaviors.

Probably the most concerning aspect of REM sleep behavior disorder is that it is often a prodrome for Parkinson's disease and other related conditions.  In this podcast we explore current concepts of how dream enactment behaviors can progress to serious neurodegenerative disorders.

While extremely rare, homicidal behavior has been reported during episodes of sleepwalking.  In this podcast, we discuss two notorious cases for which sleepwalking was offered by the defense as an explanation.  Is that what really happened?  What role should sleep providers play in such cases?

Violent and injurious behaviors do occasionally occur with parasomnias including REM sleep behavior disorder and sleepwalking.  In this podcast, we review the types of behaviors that can occur and how best to prevent them.

Sleep walking is common in childhood. What causes it and how should it be managed? In this podcast we will discuss the nature of sleepwalking and how it can best be treated.

Eating and Sleep are both fundamental biologic drives. What happens when they coincide? In this podcast, we will explore the world of sleep related eating disorder.

What is transvenous phrenic nerve stimulation?  When should we use it for patients with central sleep apnea?  Dr. Timothy Morgenthaler, a sleep specialist at Mayo Clinic, answers these questions.

Do all patients with CPAP related treatment emergent central sleep apnea need a change in management?  Dr. Timothy Morgenthaler, a sleep specialist at Mayo Clinic, answers this question.

Is CSA harmful in patients with heart failure? When should it be treated?  What is the role of augmented servo-ventilation? Dr. Sean Caples, a sleep specialist at Mayo Clinic, answers these questions.

Idiopathic hypersomnia is probably at least as common and possibly more common than narcolepsy.  In this podcast, Dr. Michael Silber discusses current approaches to its diagnosis and pharmacologic management.

Many date the start of the field of Sleep Medicine to the discovery of REM sleep by Eugene Aserinsky and Nathaniel Kleitman in 1953.  But was it actually discovered 27 years earlier by Russian investigators?  In this podcast Dr. Michael Silber discusses the fascinating story of how REM sleep was identified and what this means for Sleep Medicine.

The number of medications available to treat narcolepsy has grown dramatically in the last few years. While these have changed the landscape for patients, the future may hold even better treatments. In this podcast, Dr. Michael Silber discusses the currently available new medications and the development of orexin receptor agonists which may transform narcolepsy management.

How should we diagnose narcolepsy? In this podcast, Dr. Michael Silber explains when measuring CSF Orexin-A can be helpful and how to interpret the results.

The multiple sleep latency test was developed in 1978. While it is still the standard test used for the diagnosis of central disorders of hypersomnolence, its interpretation is complex and many factors can affect the validity of its results. In this podcast, Dr. Michael Silber discusses the practical use of the MSLT in 2024.

Cognitive behavioral therapy is the first-line therapy recommended for chronic insomnia. What does it comprise and who should teach it? Is Internet-based therapy available and effective? In this podcast, Dr. Mark Hansen discusses practical use of CBT-I for healthcare practitioners.

The search for the perfect hypnotic continues. In this podcast, Dr. Bhanu Kolla discusses the new dual orexin receptor antagonists, antidepressants and other agents used to treat insomnia.