Based in Fayetteville, Georgia, Ginari G. Price, MD, is a longtime psychiatrist who maintains the practice Psycare, LLC. A member of the American Association of Sleep Medicine, Dr. Ginari G. Price has presented on the subject of Narcolepsy in the Elderly.
A condition involving excessive sleepiness during the daytime, narcolepsy often begins in adults in their 40s and above and includes symptoms such as sudden loss of muscle tone and control while awake (cataplexy), sudden inability to move or speak while falling asleep or waking up (sleep paralysis), vivid dreams while falling asleep or waking up (hallucinations), difficulty staying asleep at night, extreme exhaustion, and depression.
A recent BMC Geriatrics study evaluated the links between sleepiness, fall risk, and falls among more than 750 men and women from the ages of 60 to 93. The Epworth Sleepiness Scale was used in assessing sleepiness and identifying patients with excessive daytime sleepiness (EDS). At the same time, participants self-reported previous falls and the predictive Elderly Fall Screening Test was utilized.
A key finding was that women with EDS also had a higher risk of falling, particularly in outdoor situations (though men showed similar tendencies, they were ultimately attributed to aging). The findings reinforced the idea that early diagnosis and care for EDS could have a positive effect in boosting the physical wellbeing of elderly persons.
In the scope of her Sleep Medicine Practice, Dr. Ginari Price, also treats conditions such as sleep apnea, periodic leg movements, restless leg syndrome, insomnia, and REM sleep behavior disorder.
