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Restless
Legs Syndrome in Older Adults
Norma G. Cuellar, DSN,
RN
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Dr.
Norma Cuellar is an assistant professor
at the School of Nursing in Health Foundation and Sciences.
While her background has been in adult health nursing,
she has focused the majority of her studies in the
older adult population.
Dr.
Cuellar's research interest focuses on Restless Legs
Syndrome (RLS), a disorder, which is characterized
by unpleasant sensations in the legs.
RLS sensations are often described by people
as burning, creeping, tugging, or like insects crawling
inside the legs. Dr. Cuellar's expertise in the treatment
of RLS compliments her interest in sleep disorders
since RLS is a movement disorder, which is often associated
with a sleep disruptions. |
| Dr.
Norma Cuellar |
Dr.
Cuellar
is
currently working on two Restless Legs Syndrome (RLS) research
projects:
1.
A comparison of
primary and idiopathic symptoms in older
adults on symptoms severity, depression, fatigue, sleep,
and quality of life.
-
Must
be diagnosed with RLS by doctor
- Must
be 65 years old or older
- Must
not have any other sleep disorders besides RLS
2. A
comparison of Type 2 diabetics with
and without RLS on diabetic control
- Must have Hg1Ac in the last 3 months
- Must
be diagnosed with RLS by doctor
Neither
study requires any invasive procedures. To
learn more about Dr. Cuellar's research,
please contact
her at ncuellar@nursing.upenn.edu.
| SELECTED
PUBLICATIONS on Restless Legs Syndrome and CAM |
Cuellar, N.. Restless Legs Syndrome: A Clinical Overview.
American Journal of Nursing. in press, 2003
Cuellar, Norma. Restless Legs Syndrome: A Case Study. Journal
of Neuroscience Nursing. 35(4): 193-201, 2003
Cuellar,
N., Cahill, B., Ford, J., & Aycock,
T.. An educational workshop on complementary and alternative
medicine (CAM): what nurses should know. Journal of Continuing
Education in Nursing. 34(3): 128-135, 2003
Cuellar, N.. Diagnosis and Treatment of Persons with RLS.
Clinical Excellence for Nurse Practitioners. in press, 2003
Cuellar, N.. Transitioning from Classroom to Online Teaching.
Nursing Forum. 37(3): 5-13, Jul 2002
Cuellar,
N.. Tips to increase success for teaching online: c.o.m.m.u.n.i.c.a.t.i.o.n.
Computers in Nursing Plus. 5: 1-7, 2002
Cuellar, N.. The Impact of Health Policy on Caregiving. Geriatric
Nursing. 23(5): 284-285, 2002
Cuellar,
N.. Magnet Therapy for Health: A Case Study Online Continuing
Education Program, Honor Society of Nursing, Sigma Theta
Tau International. , 2002
(http://www.nursingsociety.org/education/case_studies/cases/SK0001.html).
RESEARCH
REPORTS
Complementary
and alternative medicine (CAM) use by african american
(AA) and caucasian american (CA) older adults in a rural
setting: a descriptive, comparative study
by Norma Cuellar , Teresa Aycock , Bridgett
Cahill and Julie Ford
http://www.biomedcentral.com/1472-6882/3/8
| Funded
Grants |
| 2004 |
Sigma
Theta Tau International and American Association
of Diabetic Educators. Principal investigator: “A
Comparison of Type 2 Diabetics with and without
Restless Legs Syndrome on Diabetic Control, Sleep,
Fatigue, and Depression”. |
| |
|
| 2003 |
Hartford
Center of Geriatric Nursing Excellence: Jones Fund “A Comparison
of Idiopathic an Secondary Diagnosis of Elder Persons
with Restless
Legs Syndrome”.
A descriptive comparative study on idiopathic and
secondary RLS on sleep, symptom severity, fatigue,
depression, and quality
of life. Principal Investigator.
|
| |
|
| 2002 |
Sigma
Theta Tau International Gamma Lambda Chapter " The
Use of
Complementary and Alternative Medicine (CAM) by
African American and
White American Elders in Mississippi: A Descriptive,
Comparative Study " with
Teresa Aycock, Bridget Cahill, and Julie Ford.
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Other
Currently Funded Grants (Cuellar)
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| Related
Websites (RSL) |
National
Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke |
| |
http://www.ninds.nih.gov/disorders/restless_legs/restless_legs.htm |
|
| WEMOVE - Worldwide Education
and Awareness for Movement Disorders |
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http://www.wemove.org/ |
|
| Nat'l
Center on Sleep Disorders Research (NCSDR) and Nat'l Heart
Lung and Blood Institute (NHLBI) |
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http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/prof/sleep/res_plan/section5/section5d.html |
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| National Heart, Lung, and Blood
Institute |
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http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/prof/sleep/rls_gde.htm |
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| Restless Legs Syndrome Foundation |
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http://www.rls. org/ |
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| Related
Websites (CAM) |
| National
Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine |
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http://nccam.nih.gov/ |
|
| Complementary
and Alternative Medicine (CAM) Use by Older Adults
|
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http://biomed.gerontologyjournals.org/cgi/content/abstract/57/4/M223 |
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| The
above listed initiative is just one of many
ongoing studies or projects by our Penn Nursing
scholars.
For more information on other Penn Nursing
experts, or to
request a CONSULTATION, please contact |
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