OBJECTIVES To examine the relationship between insomnia, hypnotic use, falls, and hip fractures in older people. DESIGN Secondary analysis of a large, longitudinal, assessment database. SETTING Four hundred thirty-seven nursing homes in Michigan. PARTICIPANTS Residents aged 65 and older in 2001 with a baseline Minimum Data Set assessment and a follow-up 150 to 210 days later. MEASUREMEN...

This article presents a selective review of recent developments in research on hypnotic pain reduction. A profusion of well-controlled studies of hypnotic analgesia in children suggests that hypnosis ranks among the more effective psychological tools for managing the distress experienced by youngsters undergoing invasive medical procedures. This literature also draws attention to the importance...

PURPOSE To determine whether narrowing of the oropharynx increases during relaxation in patients with severe obstructive sleep apnea syndrome. MATERIALS The study included 23 adult men in whom polysomnography had established a diagnosis of obstructive sleep apnea syndrome. Subjects had an average of 53 episodes of sleep apnea per hour, with each episode lasting 40 seconds or more. Oxygen satu...

Two studies investigated the effect of hypnotic susceptibility (study 1) and the label ‘hypnosis’ (study 2) on the perception of a noxious stimulus (cold pressor). Suggestions for pain control during hypnosis are highly effective but the mechanisms of this effect and the role of the hypnotic induction in achieving pain relief remain uncertain. Study 1 demonstrated increasing pain experience wit...