"Sundowning" describes what happens when some people with dementia become confused or anxious in the late afternoon and into the evening, as the sun goes down. Dr. Antonio Culebras explains what can be done to help someone who is sundowning in this week's "HealthLink on Air." Culebras also discusses the importance of sleep for everyone and his co-creation of World Sleep Day 16 years ago. Culebras is a professor of neurology at Upstate and the dean of sleep medicine in central New York, as he started the first sleep center in Syracuse in the 1970s.
Also on this week's show, dengue virus is not commonly found in the continental U.S., but the mosquitoes that spread the disease are expanding into parts of the South and Southwestern United States. This is a disease that can cause mild flu-like symptoms in some people, and life-threatening hemorrhagic fever in others. Scientists are trying to develop treatments or a vaccine that would offer protection against the various types of dengue virus. Adam Waickman, an assistant professor of microbiology and immunology from Upstate, tells about some progress that’s been made with help from Central New Yorkers.
And, public health researcher Roger Wong and student Zhi Chen explain how cannabis has some connections to cognitive decline. They tell about their study of cannabis use, what they found and what remains to be learned. Wong is an assistant professor of public health and preventive medicine at Upstate, and Chen is a graduate student in Upstate’s Master of Public Health program.
Listen to Healthlink on Air every Sunday at 6 a.m. on WRVO.