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insomnia
(in-somīne-ә)
abnormal wakefulness; a sleep disorder consisting of an inability to fall asleep easily or to remain asleep throughout the night. This is the most common sleep disorder in the industrialized world. The causes may be either physical or emotional. adj., insomīniac., adj.
fatal familial insomnia
an inherited prion disease, transmitted as an autosomal dominant trait. The cause is unknown, but it seems to affect primarily the thalamus with disruptions in the sleep-wake cycle. Onset is typically in midlife, characterized by progressive insomnia, hallucinations,
and motor abnormalities followed by stupor and coma ending in death within 6 months to 3 years of onset. There may also be
excessive sweating, elevated body temperature and blood pressure, and tachycardia.
primary insomnia
a sleep disorder characterized by persistent difficulty falling asleep or staying asleep, or by persistently nonrefreshing sleep, diagnosed
when this is not due to any other psychological or physical condition.
Copyright 2007. An Elsevier publication. All rights reserved.
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