The sleep clinic at Hospital Universitario de Gran Canaria Doctor Negrín received an award at the 62nd annual conference of the Sociedad Española de Neurofisiología Clínica in Vigo for an oral presentation on the sleep quality of family carers of people with dementia. The hospital in Gran Canaria comes under the health department of the Gobierno de Canarias . The award recognises work in clinical neurophysiology and the relevance of the subject to care.
The award-winning presentation, entitled “Calidad del sueño en cuidadores de pacientes con demencia”, was developed by the resident doctors Víctor Melián Díaz and Nerea Portela Riveiro during a placement at Hospital Doctor Negrín. The project was coordinated by doctors Fernando Cabrera and Octavio Jiménez from the dementia and sleep units of the Servicio de Neurología y Neurofisiología Clínica.
According to the hospital, the study highlights an aspect that is often overlooked in practice: sleep disorders among family carers often go undetected, despite the heavy burden of caring for people with dementia and the potential health consequences. The team at the Unidad del Sueño notes that sleep problems are closely linked to physical, cognitive and emotional health and should therefore be systematically identified and treated—not only in patients, but also in the people who care for them every day.
In the view of Hospital Universitario de Gran Canaria Doctor Negrín, the award recognises the work of its neurology and neurophysiology services. The hospital's announcement gives no specific details on the study's methodology, sample size or measurable effects. The award itself therefore provides no basis for quantitative conclusions about the prevalence or severity of the sleep problems identified.
For care practice in the Canary Islands, the professional society's decision underscores the need to involve family carers in diagnosis at an early stage and to provide sleep medicine support where necessary. It remains unclear which screening tools were used, whether the results will be published in conference proceedings or a specialist journal, and whether follow-up intervention projects are planned. The hospital says the subject will continue to be pursued because of its relevance to the quality of life of those affected and their carers.
The annual conference of the Sociedad Española de Neurofisiología Clínica was held recently in Vigo; it brings together contributions from hospitals and research institutions across Spain each year and presents awards in several categories.
Editor: Mira Cadena (Article created with AI assistance).