Sunday, March 31, 2019

Week 11 Assignment
Part One – Scholarly Journal Article
·       Allen, R. P. (2015). Restless Leg Syndrome/Willis-Ekbom Disease Pathophysiology. Sleep Medicine Clinics, 10(3), 207-214. doi:10.1016/j.jsmc.2015.05.022
·       This article focuses on the pathophysiology including symptoms, epidemiology, causes, and some research in treatments.  The author concludes that, while there is a wide range of areas and systems related to restless leg syndrome (RLS), much of what research has found is related to the dopaminergic system and iron deficiencies (more so in the brain, not in the blood/serum).
·       Evaluative annotation
o   The article was published in 2015.  This is current research
o   The article is very informative and straight-forward in presenting the data in a way I can understand it.  It also covers basic treatment approaches in use today and what works and what does not.
o   Richard P. Allen is a PhD and a professor of neurology.  Most of his research has been with circadian rhythms, sleep medicine; restless legs syndrome, and Iron
o   The article appears to be focused on information and research and not on trying to convince the reader of any viewpoint.  The author has been a consultant for pharmaceuticals but in this article, he addresses the challenges or risks with medication as treatment. 
o   Based on other readings, I agree with the author’s findings regarding iron deficiency and dopaminergic agonists and the risks of using them.  I have read six other articles for another project and, while this article is not as lengthy as a couple others, it does present the same information in more basic terms, making it easier for the reader to understand.
o   The audience is geared more toward individuals/readers interested in the neurological aspects of the disorder.  The article is to inform the reader of neurological systems and deficiencies along with current research of treatment options (which are limited).

Part Two: Book or Ebook
·       Badr, M. Safwan. (2012). Essentials of Sleep Medicine (Respiratory Medicine). Totowa, NJ: Humana Press.
·       The ebook is focused on sleep medicine and sleep disorders.  It provides diagnostic and evidence-based approaches for all the different sleep disorders, with a focus on respiratory disorders of sleep.  It contains a section about restless leg syndrome/periodic limb movement disorder.
·       The book is “for the pulmonologist” and is focused on sleep disorders and how they affect the cardiac and respiratory systems.
·       Evaluative annotation
o   2012 is mostly current.  Some of my classes have preferred material within 5 years for primary data sources.
o   Author(s):
§  Editor: M Safwan Badr M.D., MBA is the Professor & Chair of Internal Medicine; Division Chief of Pulmonary Critical Care at Wayne State University's School of Medicine and his areas of interest are sleep medicine. 
§  The chapter author is Nidhi S. Undevia, MD, DABSM, FAASM.  Dr. Undevia is a Pulmonary and Critical Care Medical Doctor, Associate Professor, and RML Medical Director.  She is also interested and involved in sleep medicine research.
o   Humana Press is an academic publisher of science, technology, and medical books and journals.  Humana publishes more than 100 new books and 25 journals per year, with a back list of approximately 1,500 titles in areas such as molecular biology, neuroscience, cancer research, pathology, and medicine.  It appears that Humana Press is a reputable publisher.
o   While the book is not really related to my article (however, sleep is one predominant predictor and treatment for RLS), it does contain a section about Restless leg syndrome.  Chapter 18 addresses movement disorders (which includes RLS).

Part Three: Website
·       Restless Legs Syndrome Fact Sheet. (2018, July 6). Retrieved from https://www.ninds.nih.gov/Disorders/Patient-Caregiver-Education/Fact-Sheets/Restless-Legs-Syndrome-Fact-Sheet
·       The website (this specific page) is primarily focused on basic information about Restless leg syndrome.  They provide information on what the disorder is, the symptoms, what can/may cause it, how to diagnosis it, and basic research and ways to treat it (including medication and the associated risks, supplements, and sleep hygiene).
·       I believe this webpage is for the general public.  While the information is somewhat technical, it is presented in a way that most people can understand it.  There are terms used that the general public may be unfamiliar with, but they explain it using basic information.  From there I think most people will want to research further if they don’t understand it completely.
·       Evaluation:
o   .gov: This is a government managed site.  A branch of the US government is responsible for the information and presentation.
o   The ‘last updated’ date is Friday, 7-06-2018.  This is current
o   The information provided on this website aligns very well with the information I have gathered in my research/reading.
o   Authority: “The National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke is an Institute within the National Institutes of Health that aims to seek fundamental knowledge about the brain and nervous system and to use that knowledge to reduce the burden of neurological disease.”
o   The website’s information is accurate and consistent with my other reading, however, there are no citations provided on this webpage.  However, there are links to other websites for more information.