[blindkid] FW: [blind-family] Blind Child/Young Adolescent Study

Eric Calhoun eric at pmpmail.com
Tue Oct 13 02:47:44 UTC 2009


David, please let me know if this is appropriate for the lists.


Original Message: 
From: "Sleep and Mood Disorders Lab" <sleeplab at ohsu.edu>
To: blind-family at yahoogroups.com
Subject: [blind-family] Blind Child/Young Adolescent Study
Date: 
Tue, 13 Oct 2009 00:00:07 -0000

Hello,

My name is Amber Laurie, and I am a Research Assistant in the Sleep and
Mood Disorders Laboratory of Oregon Health and Science University in
Portland, Oregon. I am writing you to ask for your help in reaching family
members and educators of blind children and young adults who may be
interested in participating in a study currently taking place under the
direction of Dr. Alfred Lewy. We are looking for blind children (ages 5-8)
and blind young adults (ages 17-20) who have little or no light perception.
The purpose of this study is to identify abnormal body rhythms and sleeping
patterns of blind children and young adults and to determine if these
rhythms affect sleep quality and social/academic functioning.  

The body clocks of sighted people are reset every day by the daily rising
and setting of the sun, a process that is not possible for the blind, as
they cannot receive light through their eyes. This causes many completely
blind children and adults to suffer from sleep problems.  Blind children
and teenagers tend to have body rhythms which free-run, meaning that their
natural body rhythms drift later each day, causing sleep and activity
problems.  This is similar to the jet lag that people sometimes experience
when they travel. (For more information on this phenomenon, type "circadian
rhythms in the blind" into your internet browser.)  We think that
understanding and treating this problem is important for the social and
academic functioning of blind children in the US, with the results of our
study potentially extending worldwide and benefiting sighted children and
young adults as well. 

We will measure body rhythms by using sleep diaries and wristwatch-style
activity monitors, and by sometimes measuring melatonin levels in saliva. 
Sleep quality and daytime functioning will be determined by questionnaires
completed by participants, teachers, and parents.  The studies may also
involve daytime saliva collection sessions, collected at the participants'
home.  All costs of participation will be covered by the investigators.

There are a number of ways you could help us get the word out about this
study.  First, you could distribute the included flyers to families with
blind children and young adults.  It would also be helpful for us to know
about publications that are of interest to families with blind children, so
that we may distribute advertisements to those publications.

If you know of any potential candidates who may qualify and/or who are
interested in learning more about the study, or if you know of any
publications that are distributed to families with blind children and young
adults, please have the candidate and/or their parent(s) contact me at
sleeplab at ohsu.edu or 503-494-1402.

Thank you very much for your help, and I hope to hear from you soon. 

Sincerely, 

Amber Laurie





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