The final session of the Adult Sleep Clinical Core Curriculum will cover several recent innovations in sleep medicine on Monday, May 20, from 2:15-3:45 p.m. in Ballroom 20B-D (Upper Level) of the San Diego Convention Center.

Monica R. Kelly, assistant professor-in-residence of medicine at UCLA, will kick off the session with her presentation “Beyond CBT-I: What Else for Insomnia?”

Cognitive behavioral therapy for insomnia is an evidence-based practice for treating maladaptive behaviors that lead to poor sleep. Ms. Kelly will review the strengths and limitations associated with CBT-I and alternative but similar therapeutic options, such as CBT-I with a telehealth provider, online CBT-I courses, brief behavioral therapy for insomnia, and mindfulness for insomnia.

“CBT-I has phenomenal data showing that compared to medication for insomnia, the outcomes are better than giving the patient a pill,” explained Michelle R. Zeidler, MD, clinical professor of medicine at UCLA and vice-chair of the Adult Sleep Clinical Core Curriculum. “CBT-I regimens are typically four to eight sessions, and the effects are often quite long-lasting.”

Monday’s second presentation will be “What’s New in Pediatric Sleep Testing?” from Harish S. Rao, MD, MRCPCH, assistant professor of clinical pediatrics at Indiana University School of Medicine.

“Sleep apnea is quite prevalent among pediatric populations, and until recently, the only modality approved to diagnose these disorders was to bring the child in-house for an in-lab sleep study, which is time-consuming, so there has been a push to explore at-home sleep testing for children,” Dr. Zeidler said.

In addition to the challenges associated with access, diagnostic criteria for diagnosing sleep disorders in children versus adults vary significantly. Dr. Rao will cover these discrepancies, the efficacy of in-lab and at-home modalities for pediatric sleep testing, and emerging technologies that could alter how pediatric patients are diagnosed with sleep disorders.

The final presentation for this year’s Adult Sleep Clinical Core Curriculum will be “Against the Clock: Critical Illness and Circadian Rhythm” by Biren Bharat Kamdar, MD, MBA, MHS, MS, associate professor of clinical medicine at the University of California, San Diego.

Dr. Kamdar will review the association between abnormal sleep-wake rhythms of patients in the ICU and the poor outcomes often associated with sleep patterns in this setting, such as delirium. He will also cover methods for assessing and measuring patient sleep in the ICU, successful strategic interventions that can improve patients’ sleep in the care facility setting, and the best medications to improve sleep with minimal side effects.

“The hospital is a horrible place to sleep, but there are several interventions that I would consider low-hanging fruit that can improve patients’ sleep in the ICU, so I think Dr. Kamdar’s presentation will be valuable and practical for the audience,” Dr. Zeidler added. 

The core curriculum series aims to support clinicians engaged in the maintenance of certification activities by providing updates on subjects included in recertification requirements. The ATS Clinical Core Curriculum Symposia focus on key topics in the areas of Adult and Pediatric Pulmonary, Critical Care, and Sleep Medicine. The topics are aligned with corresponding MOC Medical Knowledge modules. This symposium is intended to help clinicians stay up to date with important information relevant to their medical practices and to provide an opportunity for clinicians to evaluate their knowledge and skills while earning MOC Medical Knowledge points.