Home Page

 
2019 Voxmedia Sleep Program Image

Narcolepsy in Children:
Overcoming Barriers and Improving Outcomes




Friday, October 4, 2019


Broadcasting live from:
Millennium Hotel Durham
Durham, NC


Join the Live Webinar at 12:00 PM EST at either: 

https://twitter.com/PedsSleepDoc  
Or

https://twitter.com/medschooladvice   


Registration for this program is now closed.

 
Speakers:  

Sujay Kansagra, MD
Director, Pediatric Neurology Sleep Medicine Program
Assistant Professor, Department of Pediatrics
Duke University Medical Center
Judith Owens, MD, MPH
Professor of Neurology
Harvard Medical School
Boston, Massachusetts
Merrill Wise, MD
Methodist Healthcare
Memphis, Tennessee

Program Overview:

Narcolepsy is a lifelong neurologic disorder characterized by excessive daytime sleepiness and an imbalance in REM mediated sleep-wake physiology. This imbalance may lead to other signs of narcolepsy, including sleep paralysis, hypnogogic hallucinations, and cataplexy. Childhood onset of disease is common, with onset prior to 15 years of age in one-third of patients, and prior to 5 years of age in 5 percent. Despite early onset of symptoms, children often go undiagnosed and untreated for many years, with some studies indicated a median time to diagnosis as long as 10 years. Given the vital period for academic and personal development during childhood, a lack of timely diagnosis and treatment may translate into a lifetime of consequences, including poor academic achievement, obesity, social marginalization, and excessive dependency on caregivers. Clearly, the need to identify children early is vital in order to appropriately diagnose and treat narcolepsy.

Nondrug treatment includes good sleep hygiene with regular sleep and wake times with the aim to provide adequate hours of nighttime sleep. Total sleep time requirement varies by age; although 7-8 hours is recommended for adults, children need more sleep. In addition, regular exercise improves the sleeping pattern. Scheduled brief naps are one of the most effective nondrug treatments for excessive daytime sleepiness; however, they are seldom sufficient on their own and are often impractical in older children. Nondrug treatment for cataplexy includes family support and education about the triggers and the nature of the episodes. Wake-promoting drugs include modafinil and armodafinil; however, these agents are not FDA-approved for children younger than 17 years. Stimulants such as methylphenidate and amphetamine can be useful in the management of narcolepsy due to their wake-promoting properties. The FDA has recently approved sodium oxybate for the treatment of cataplexy or excessive daytime sleepiness (EDS) in patients 7 years of age or older with narcolepsy, based on the completion of a randomized, placebo-controlled study.

Educational Objectives: 
Diagnosis Webinar:

  1. Recognize atypical presentations of cataplexy in children
  2. Identify comorbidities associated with narcolepsy
  3. Emphasize the importance of taking a detailed clinical history for making an accurate diagnosis
  4. Utilize polysomnography and execute the multiple sleep latency test in patients with suspected narcolepsy

Treatment Webinar:
  1. Describe behavioral interventions to manage daytime sleepiness and indicate the importance of patient adherence to recommended lifestyle changes
  2. Recommend strategies to teachers and school administrators for reducing complications for patients and preventing adverse outcomes
  3. Interpret evidence from clinical trials of narcolepsy therapies evaluated in pediatric patients
  4. Explain the importance of disseminating clinical profiles and best practices for use of pharmacologic therapies to parents and patients

Accreditation & Credit Designation:
Voxmedia LLC is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME) to provide continuing medical education for physicians.

Voxmedia LLC designates this live webinar for a maximum of 1.0 AMA PRA Category 1 Credit(s)TM. Physicians should claim only the credit commensurate with the extent of their participation in the activity.

Nurse practitioners may participate in this educational activity and earn a certificate of completion as AANP accepts AMA PRA Category 1 CreditsTM through its reciprocity agreements.

The National Commission on Certification of Physician Assistants accepts AMA PRA Category 1 Credits TM from organizations accredited by the ACCME.


Educational Grant: Voxmedia gratefully acknowledges the educational grant provided by Jazz Pharmaceuticals, Inc.

Requirements to participate: This website functions best in the following software environments: A TwitterTM account is required in order to participate. Desktops/Laptops ? Windows, XP, Vista, 7, 8 ? Mac OSX 10.6 higher Most modern browsers including: ? IE8,9,10 ? Firefox 18.0+ ? Chrome 26+ ? Safari 5+ * Flash player is required for some Online CME courses Mobile/Tablet ? iOS devices beginning with OS version 5 or higher (includes, iPhone, ipad and iTouch devices) ? Android devices including tablets and phones ? Windows RT and tablets on Windows 8 are also supported

 

Free CME Here

Target Audience:  This activity is intended for physicians and other healthcare professionals involved in the management of sleep disorders.