Research / Funded grants
2011 Young Investigator
Objective Sleep and Suicide in General Population Sample of Youth
Ravi Singareddy, M.D.
Penn State University College of Medicine
Mentor: David Brent, M.D., University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine
$85,000 Focus area
Neurobiological Awarded
2011
Inside the Research
Grant Categories: Sleep, adolescents
Abstract: Substantial evidence indicates that sleep disturbances such as insomnia, hypersomnia, and nightmares increase the risk of suicidal behaviors. Dr. Singareddy aims to determine the association among suicidal ideation, suicidal attempts. and sleep disturbances in 500 adolescents. He will record specific aspects of sleep in a sleep laboratory, including sleep efficiency, sleep latency, REM latency, poor subjective sleep, nightmares, and hypersomnia or oversleeping. He hypothesizes that adolescents experiencing suicidal ideation or history of a suicide attempt will also be suffering from measurable sleep problems. Further, he expects the severity of suicidal ideation to increase when sleep disturbances are accompanied by difficulties in attention and concentration, impulsiveness, and increased risk-taking behaviors.
Impact: To establish the value of objective sleep and neurocognitive measures in assessing suicide risk, and to advance clinical approaches to suicide prevention in adolescents that include treatments for sleep problems.
This study is underway
Findings will be published here as the research progresses. to hear when they’re available.
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