title: Sleep in traumatic brain injury.
abstract: More than one-half million patients are hospitalized annually for traumatic brain injury (TBI). One-quarter demonstrate sleep-disordered breathing, up to 50% experience insomnia, and half have hypersomnia. Sleep disturbances after TBI may result from injury to sleep-regulating brain tissue, nonspecific neurohormonal responses to systemic injury, ICU environmental interference, and medication side effects. A diagnosis of sleep disturbances requires a high index of suspicion and appropriate testing. Treatment starts with a focus on making the ICU environment conducive to normal sleep. Treating sleep-disordered breathing likely has outcome benefits in TBI. The use of sleep promoting sedative-hypnotics and anxiolytics should be judicious.
authors.affiliation: Section of Pulmonary & Critical Care Medicine, Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center, 1901 Perdido Street, Suite 3205, New Orleans, LA 70112, USA. Electronic address: jverma@lsuhsc.edu.
authors.forename: James
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Vermaelen
authors.affiliation: Section of Trauma and Critical Care Surgery, Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center, 1542 Tulane Avenue, New Orleans, LA 70112, USA.
authors.forename: Patrick
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Greiffenstein
authors.affiliation: Section of Pulmonary & Critical Care Medicine, Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center, 1901 Perdido Street, Suite 3205, New Orleans, LA 70112, USA.
authors.forename: Bennett P
authors.initials: BP
authors.lastname: deBoisblanc
mesh_terms: D001930:Brain Injuries / Q000150:complications* / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000503:physiopathology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006993:Hypnotics and Sedatives / Q000627:therapeutic use; D007362:Intensive Care Units; D008875:Middle Aged; D012893:Sleep Wake Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000209:etiology / Q000503:physiopathology
chemical_list: D006993:Hypnotics and Sedatives
keywords: Critical care; Delirium; Melatonin; Sleep disorders; Traumatic brain injury