SOCS

Extra Lesson for Study Month week 2, year 3 2008/2009

SOCS

DSM-IV Criteria for Sleep-on-chair Syndrome (SOCS)

A. Must have experienced at least 5 times of transient unconsciousness when one is sitting on a chair, associated with drowsiness and heavy-eyelids.

B. Characteristic symptoms: 3 (or more) of the following for the duration of at least 1 week.

(1) Be able to fall asleep in bed within 10 minutes.

(2) A history of hypersomnia.

(3) Love to fish in lecture hall, and have fished for at least twice in one lecture.

(4) Involuntarily knocked one’s head/ kissed the table at least once in the first hour during studying.

(5) Have established a tolerance towards caffeine or similar stimulant and is very much dependent on it, with the habit to take it at least once per day in order to keep oneself awake.

(6) Be able to fall asleep at anywhere else, for eg. in any vehicles or while using toilet, elevator etc.

ž Social/occupational dysfunction: one or more major areas of functioning such as work, interpersonal relations, or self-care are markedly below the level achieved prior to the onset.

ž The symptoms are not due to the direct psychological effects of a substance (e.g. drug abuse, medication) or a general medical condition (e.g. degenerative neurological condition).

Miss Tan is diagnosed to have an end-stage SOCS since she has met all the criteria as listed above. Physiotherapy was given and she was advised to practice a healthy life style with the hope that it would help alleviating the symptoms as well as to improve her quality of life.

Currently, Miss Tan is trying hard to follow the advice as given, but days by days, her condition has become worsened, and on top of this, her final exam is coming real, real soon……