THE WOMAN WHO COULDN'T WAKE UP

Course overview

THIS COURSE PRESENTS A COMPLEX CASE OF PROGRESSIVE HYPERSOMNIA AND NEUROPSYCHIATRIC DECLINE INITIALLY MISDIAGNOSED AS A PSYCHIATRIC DISORDER. LEARNERS WILL EXPLORE THE DIAGNOSTIC PROCESS THAT LED TO THE IDENTIFICATION OF PARANEOPLASTIC HYPOTHALAMIC DYSFUNCTION, A RARE SYNDROME IN WHICH AN OCCULT TUMOR TRIGGERS AN AUTOIMMUNE RESPONSE AGAINST THE BRAIN'S SLEEP-WAKE REGULATORY CENTERS. THE COURSE HIGHLIGHTS THE IMPORTANCE OF RECOGNIZING RED FLAGS IN PSYCHIATRIC PRESENTATIONS, INTERPRETING SUBTLE LABORATORY ABNORMALITIES, AND ADVOCATING FOR COMPREHENSIVE NEUROLOGIC AND ONCOLOGIC EVALUATION. NURSES WILL GAIN TOOLS TO DIFFERENTIATE PSYCHIATRIC ILLNESS FROM NEUROLOGIC AND METABOLIC MIMICS.