TeachableMedicalNews article 01312022
Teachable moment in classrooms:
- cellular basis of life chapter – concept of one gene, one protein
- cellular basis of life chapter – concept of gene mutation leading to protein malfunction
- nervous system chapter – functional roles of hypothalamus
- nervous system chapter – sleep and wakefulness
- endocrine system – receptor agonists enhance cellular response
The news item: Recently a news item appeared about a new pharmaceutical to treat severe sleep disturbance disorders:
https://sleepreviewmag.com/sleep-treatments/pharmaceuticals/prescription-drugs/fda-approves-hetlioz-sleep-disturbances-smith-magenis-syndrome/
The article states that the pharmaceutical Hetlioz was approved to treat sleep disturbance disorders in adults and children, and also people suffering from Smith-Magenis syndrome.
So, Why Do I Care?? While loosing sleep hours is a common occurrence that comes with minor inconveniences in our daily lives, severe sleep disturbance, however, describes a disorder with significant health consequences. Millions of people suffer from such severe sleep disturbance in the US, and then there are over 15,000 people in the US who suffers from Smith-Magenis syndrome.
Plain English, Please!!! First let’s talk about sleep disturbances, in general. The action of going into sleep is the result of nerve signals from the hypothalamus part of the brain, and that signal decreases