Are these statements TRUE or FALSE?
Though the links to the relevant articles are provided, you DON’T have to re-read that article. Correct answers are given in just few sentences.
1. About 1% of patients with chronic insomnia are believed to actually have Delayed Sleep Phase Disorder instead of true insomnia.
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Answer: False
Explanation: Persons with Delayed Sleep Phase Syndrome commonly try to go to sleep earlier than their natural bedtime. So, not surprisingly, they have difficulty falling asleep. Because of this, many patients with Delayed Sleep Phase Disorder are misdiagnosed as having insomnia. I want to emphasize how commonly this happens. Not just 1% but about 10% of patients with complaints of chronic insomnia (Magee et al., 2016) are believed to actually have Delayed Sleep Phase Disorder.
Review: What is delayed phase disorder?
2. One potential tool in treating Delayed Sleep Phase Disorder is to give a low dose of melatonin about an hour before the current bedtime.
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Answer: False
Explanation: When melatonin is given for treating Delayed Sleep Phase Disorder, it is not being given as a hypnotic. It is being given to advance the sleep phase, i.e., to move it towards an earlier bedtime. Some trial and error will be needed, but, as a start, melatonin should be given about FIVE hours before when the person typically sleeps at this time, i.e., on the delayed schedule.
3. If a patient has hyponatremia due to a serotonergic antidepressant, serum osmolality will be low.
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Answer: True
Explanation: Serotonergic antidepressants cause hyponatremia due to Syndrome of Inappropriate Antidiuretic Hormone (ADH) secretion. As the name “antidiuretic” suggests, ADH reduces diuresis or urination. The kidneys retain more water than is needed, making the serum more dilute than normal. That is why the serum osmolality is decreased in SIADH, including SIADH caused by serotonergic antidepressants.
Review: How to diagnose SIADH
Related Pages
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365 Advanced Topics in Psychopharmacology: Quiz 21
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