Thomas S. May

Defined as a clinical syndrome involving progressive deterioration in multiple areas of cognitive functioning, dementia is a major cause of disability, institutionalization, and increased mortality among the elderly. Although it can occur in younger persons too, dementia is typically associated with aging. It is often seen as a disease that cannot be prevented or cured. However, there is increasing evidence that some types of dementia can be successfully treated or even reversed.

Involuntary Emotional Expression Disorder Often Misdiagnosed and Untreated

It is a widely known fact that Fyodor Dostoevsky, the famous 19th-century Russian novelist, suffered from epilepsy for most of his life. However, not too many persons are aware that Dostoevsky also had a sleep disorder called delayed sleep phase syndrome, which may have contributed to his seizures.1 Although no one knows for certain, it is quite conceivable that Dostoevsky's sleep disorder worsened his epilepsy, according to Carl Bazil, MD, PhD, director of Clinical Anticonvulsant Drug Trials and director of the Neurology Division, Columbia Comprehensive Sleep Center, Columbia University, New York.