[Nfbsatx] Fwd: [TPOBC] RE: Circadian Studies in Young Blind Children and Adolescents

Jose Martinez jose.martinez07 at gmail.com
Thu Feb 4 16:12:38 UTC 2010


---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Laura Weber <weberfam07 at comcast.net>
Date: Thu, 4 Feb 2010 09:57:32 -0600
Subject: [TPOBC] RE: Circadian Studies in Young Blind Children and Adolescents
To: Kim Cunningham <kim at gulfimagesphoto.com>
Cc: tpobc at googlegroups.com

I posted it.  You can post on the list now that Emily added your
@gulfimagesphoto e-mail, correct?  Send posts to
<mailto:tpobc at googlegroups.com> tpobc at googlegroups.com



Laura



  _____

From: Kim Cunningham [mailto:kim at gulfimagesphoto.com]
Sent: Thursday, February 04, 2010 8:28 AM
To: Laura Weber
Subject: Fw: Circadian Studies in Young Bilnd Children and Adolescents




Would you please post the below email to the TPOBC list serv?

Kim

--- On Mon, 2/1/10, SMDL Sleep and Mood Disorders Lab <sleeplab at ohsu.edu>
wrote:


From: SMDL Sleep and Mood Disorders Lab <sleeplab at ohsu.edu>
Subject: Circadian Studies in Young Bilnd Children and Adolescents
To: "kim at gulfimagesphoto.com" <kim at gulfimagesphoto.com>
Date: Monday, February 1, 2010, 11:54 AM

Text Box: School of Medicine
Department of Psychiatry
Sleep and Mood Disorders Laboratory
Mail code L-469
3181 S.W. Sam Jackson Park Road
Portland, OR 97239-3098
tel 503 494-5635
fax 503 494-5329
Alfred J. Lewy, MD, PhD
Richard H. Phillips Professor of Biological Psychiatry
Senior Vice Chair, Department of Psychiatry
Professor of Ophthalmology and Physiology/Pharmacology
Director, Sleep and Mood Disorders Laboratory
Jonathan S. Emens, MD, DABSM
Assistant Professor of Psychiatry
Medical Director, Sleep and Mood Disorders Laboratory
Kyle Johnson, MD, DABSM
Assistant Professor of Psychiatry
Co-Medical Director, Sleep Disorders Program
J. Mark Kinzie, MD, PhD
Assistant
Professor of Psychiatry
Director, Torture Treatment Center of Oregon
Associate Residency Training Director


February 1, 2010



Dear Kim Cunningham,



Your past support and recognition of the significance of our work to the
blind community is of great importance to us. We hope to continue to foster
this relationship as we work together toward the improvement in the quality
of life of blind children and their families.  I am writing again to ask for
your help in reaching blind youth without light perception (children ages
5-8 and young adults ages 17-20) who may be interested in contributing to a
research opportunity funded by the National Institutes of Health. Below is a
letter of support from Carol Castellano, President of the National
Organization of Parents of Blind Children at the National Federation of the
Blind:



Dear Friends:



The National Organization of Parents of Blind Children is helping to find
participants for an important research study on sleep cycles in blind
children and youth. This project has the real potential to help families
whose children are having difficulty with sleep patterns. Children and youth
with and without sleep difficulties are needed for the study.



If you are interested in finding out more about the project, please call

Stevie Hodge, Research Assistant, at (503) 494-1402 or e-mail her at
<http://us.mc11.mail.yahoo.com/mc/compose?to=sleeplab@ohsu.edu>
sleeplab at ohsu.edu.



Carol Castellano, President

National Organization of Parents of Blind Children

(973) 377-0976

 <http://us.mc11.mail.yahoo.com/mc/compose?to=carol_castellano@verizon.net>
carol_castellano at verizon.net
 <http://www.nfb.org/nopbc> www.nfb.org/nopbc

The body clocks of sighted individuals are synchronized to a daily 24-hour
cycle by the perpetual rising and setting of the sun, a process that is not
always possible for blind individuals who are unable to see light through
their eyes. Entirely blind people sometimes have natural body rhythms that
free-run, meaning that their rhythms drift each day, similar to the
experience of jet lag when traveling. This can lead to sleep complaints and
difficulty staying alert during the day and can also contribute to social
and academic challenges. (For more information on this phenomenon, type
"circadian rhythms in the blind" into your internet search engine.) We think
that understanding this problem and developing an effective treatment will
be invaluable to the social and academic functioning of blind children not
only in the United States but also worldwide.



Our research group has been studying sleep disorders in the blind in the
Portland area for almost thirty years. We have recently simplified our
procedures so that individuals can participate in our studies from home,
allowing us to include contributors from anywhere in the nation. In this
project, we will measure body rhythms by using wristwatch-style activity
monitors, sleep journals, and by periodically measuring melatonin levels in
saliva. Sleep quality and daytime functioning will be measured by simple
questionnaires completed by participants, teachers, or parents. Daytime
saliva collection sessions will occur in participants' homes and will be
scheduled at their convenience. All costs associated with this study will be
covered by the investigators.








The success of our research and the opportunity to positively impact the
health, social, and academic functioning of blind children and young adults
worldwide is dependent upon your help. If you have any questions about our
project, would like to participate, or have any suggestions as to how we
might reach interested families, please contact Stevie Hodge, Research
Assistant, at
<http://us.mc11.mail.yahoo.com/mc/compose?to=sleeplab@ohsu.edu>
sleeplab at ohsu.edu or (503) 494-1402. Thank you in advance for your support.



Sincerely,



Alfred J



Dr. Alfred J. Lewy, MD, PhD

Director, Sleep and Mood Disorders Laboratory

Oregon Health & Science University

Principal Investigator

eIRB #4664
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