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Director: Dr. Rachel Morehouse
Sleep disorders are extremely common among Canadians. Most people afflicted with sleep disorders, however, are not aware either of the disorder or the extent to which it affects their lives. These disorders have an enormous impact on people’s mood, quality of life, and physical/mental health. The Atlantic Health Sciences Sleep Centre was established in order to fill a need in the Atlantic Provinces for sleep disorders research and treatment. The purpose is to diagnose the specific pathologies of sleep, numerous sleep-associated disorders, and their medical and psychiatric consequences, appropriate management and treatment strategies. The Centre was established in February 1999. It became the first AASM (American Academy of Sleep Medicine) accredited Sleep Centre in Canada in 2005. In addition to the clinic and laboratory the Centre incorporates research into a variety of sleep disorders and their implications for mental and physical well being. Program staff include sleep technologist, affiliated respirologists and the only physician specifically trained in Sleep Disorders Medicine in New Brunswick. The state–of-the-art 3-bed laboratory has the diagnostic capacity to address serious sleep problems from patients throughout New Brunswick and to accept referrals from other provinces. Patients, by referral only, are assessed for a variety of sleep disorders including obstructive sleep apnea, narcolepsy/cataplexy, periodic limb movement disorder etc. Diagnosis is ascertained, treatment initiated and patients are returned to the care of the referring physician. Functions and Services: Clinic services: Assessment and diagnostic services. The clinic functions primarily as a consultation service for patients on the basis of perceived urgency. Referrals: Urgent and in-hospital referrals are seen as soon as possible and if deemed appropriate a sleep clinic is scheduled in one of the designated "emergency" slots. Outpatient referrals are considered urgent if they have cardiopulmonary disease, a severe mental disorder, or constitute a public safety threat (ie: bus drivers, truck drivers, airline pilots etc.). All other referrals are prioritized on a wait list based on severity. Referrals are accepted from physicians only. After diagnosis and treatment the patient is returned to the care of the referring physician and only in rare cases are they followed up over a longer term. 
Laboratory: Provides technical diagnostic and treatment services, including overnight sleep EEG recording, nocturnal respiratory function and movement monitoring, as well as daytime sleep latency testing. The Laboratory consists of three patient bedrooms equipped with computerized polysomnography (sleep) equipment, video monitoring and central monitoring room equipped with computer work stations for data collection, scoring and analysis. Once patients have been studied in the Laboratory and the data has been analyzed and interpreted, treatment is either prescribed by the sleep disorders medical staff or recommendations for treatment are made to the referring physician. Outpatient Sleep Testing Program: The Sleep Centre started an outpatient sleep testing program in October 2007. This service is directed to patients with suspected sleep apnea exclusively. Patients, by referral only, come into the Sleep Centre and are set up with a respiratory monitoring device which they take home with them, wear that night and return the next day. The information recorded can be used to diagnose sleep disorder breathing. Research: Staff has been involved in research on various aspects of sleep medicine, respirology and related mood disorders and schizophrenia. These projects involve collaborations with colleagues in psychiatry, medicine, psychology and other disciplines.
National / International Affiliations: |
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