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Case Reports
. 2018 Jul 15;14(7):1265-1267.
doi: 10.5664/jcsm.7244.

A Case of Non-24-Hour Sleep-Wake Rhythm Disorder Treated With a Low Dose of Ramelteon and Behavioral Education

Akiko Watanabe  1 , Marina Hirose  1 , Chiaki Arakawa  1 , Nakao Iwata  1 , Tsuyoshi Kitajima  1
Affiliations
Case Reports

A Case of Non-24-Hour Sleep-Wake Rhythm Disorder Treated With a Low Dose of Ramelteon and Behavioral Education

Akiko Watanabe et al. J Clin Sleep Med. .

Abstract

Non-24-hour sleep-wake rhythm disorder (N24SWD) occurs when the intrinsic circadian pacemaker does not entrain (synchronize) to the 24-hour light/dark cycle. There is currently no established treatment for sighted patients with N24SWD. To the best of our knowledge, there have been very few reports on the efficacy of ramelteon administered to sighted patients with N24SWD. We report the case of a sighted patient with N24SWD whose free-running sleep-wake pattern recorded by actigraphy was stopped after the administration of a low dose of ramelteon combined with behavioral education.

Keywords: behavioral education; circadian rhythm sleep-wake disorders; non-24-hour sleep-wake rhythm disorder; ramelteon.

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Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1. Actigraphic record of the patients' sleep-wake pattern (double plot).
This record was obtained from the first visit to our department. Free-running stopped immediately upon the commencement of ramelteon administration (indicated by the arrow). Areas with green spikes represent patient's movement and activity and are judged as wake; areas without spikes represent inactivity and are judged as asleep.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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