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Science and technology development is researched and displayed at the German Museum
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Sleepless in Germany
Germany – a nation of yawning citizens? Could be true if the results of the world’s largest study on sleeping disorders conducted by the Max Planck Institute of Psychiatry are to be believed: almost half the patients in the waiting rooms of the country’s physicians suffer from sleep disorders. Most of these tired people wake up in the middle of the night or don’t even fall asleep. Young patients especially suffer from sleeplessness - a quarter of those with sleep problems are between the ages of 16 and 19.
A sleepy diagnosis
The study also shows that general physicians in Germany have been nodding off when it comes to recognizing the clinical disease pattern of sleep disorders. Researchers are shocked to discover that only a third of patients have been diagnosed correctly. There’s also no clarity about exactly how many people sleeplessly toss and turn in their beds at night.
Sleep disorders are usually serious and long drawn-out illnesses with treatment equally long and laborious. After all the patient doesn’t get the much-needed rest at night. Matters are made worse by the fact that most general practitioners are usually over-challenged when it comes to treating the disorders. Experts warn that a bit of counseling and a prescription are not enough to guarantee sweet dreams. Long-term intake of medication isn’t the answer either, they say since that can only lead to addiction.
Sleep yourself to good health
The diagnosis of the researchers is clear as a bell: German doctors must be made fit to cope with the onslaught of the sleepless. The study by the Max Planck institute of Psychiatry provides scientific data material that can go a long way in shedding light on sleep disorders and helping further training in the field.
Sleep not only strengthens our immune system, but a good sleep also prevents psychological illnesses such as depression. There you go, you can doze off with a good conscience.
In Synchronization
How do motor functions and perception correlate? That’s what interests scientists at the Max Planck Institute for Psychological Research. They want to know why humans find it so much easier to perform symmetrical movements with both hands instead of unsymmetrical movements. For instance we encounter no problems moving both index fingers right to left at the same time to the rhythm of a song. But we would never hit upon the idea of moving each finger to a different beat at the same time because it’s a unusual movement.
Let’s have a look at your hands
But why do we react with our hands symmetrically? Up to now, the reason was considered to be that the mutual activation of anatomically homogenous muscles is easier. But researchers at the Max-Planck institute are of the view that we are inclined towards symmetric movements simply because we can control them a lot better. Mirror-symmetry can be recognized much more easily because of the similar form – it is determined by the perception of externally observable movements.
Imagination instead of Brawn
Back to our fingers: If we concentrate, we can usually carry out asymmetric movements with our index fingers. This works because we can imagine the effect of the movements spatially. Then the muscles react on their own. Using their experiments, researchers can say: imagination is stronger than muscle power. It’s mind over matter – but who is really interested in tapping their index fingers to a different beat?
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Paul Knochel, a chemistry professor from France, on the standard of scientific research in Munich. (German)
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| Further Information
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TU Munich is a member of TU9, an alliance of the best technical universities in Germany. On its webpages, TU9 provides information on studying engineering and natural sciences.
www.tu9.de/...
Profile of the Munich region and its Networks of Competence
www.kompetenznetze.de/...
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