CENC - Sleep Medicine Center - CENC

The private clinical activity in CENC – Centro do Sono, in terms of PSGs started in 1998 and in terms of patient observation around the year 2000. The full Sleep Center was organized in 2005.

There are written protocols for each recording; the website includes a detailed explanation of each test in terms of procedures and clinical information obtained, so that patients are adequately informed. Furthermore upon booking of a sleep recording the patients receive detailed written information.
The report is given shortly after, the next morning for those patients coming from other country regions, for those requiring urgent solutions and for private patients.
The technical staff is formed by highly trained personnel, with either the Master Degree or post graduation studies in Sleep Medicine. The co-ordinator is the MSc Sofia Rebocho; she is responsible for the supervision of the technical quality of the recordings, data storing and file archiving and the overall coordination of the Sleep Lab (the AASM and ESRS recommendations are implemented). Besides, the permanent technical staff includes Ana Viegas (developing her MSc thesis at present) and Catia Oliveira and 7 non permanent technicians assuring the night recording or the PSG scoring and pre-report.
The PSG reports are supervised by myself and by Richard Staats (German sub specialty in Sleep Medicine)
The Sleep Medicine Center medical staff includes myself, 1 pneumologist: Richard Staats, a Neurologist (Dulce Neutel, and a Psychiatrist: Ana santa Clara) and a dentist (Gabriela Videira)
Furthermore other medical specialties are available, namely Neurology, Neuropediatrics, Psychiatry, Physiatrist, ENT, Cardiology and Internal Medicine.
The Psychology team includes: Helena Rebelo Pinto (Full Professor in Psychology of Education) who deals with cognitive behavior therapy of insomniacs and supervision professional trainings; Teresa Rebelo Pinto (MSc) who supports my clinical consultations and deals with behavior therapy of children and adolescents; Lara Pessoa who is in charge of psychotherapy treatments and Carolina Maruta (Neurophychologist) who deals with cognitive deficits; Catarina Mestre for Children Sleep Medicine, phobias and behavior therapy.
Chronobiology is assured by a biologist, Dr Catia Reis, currently working in her PhD thesis.
The team includes also Nutrition specialists (Mariana Chaves), a specialist in Physical activity and Exercise (Vera Ramos) and a Quiropractitioner (Miguel Otero), Neuromuscular therapist (Filipe Videira)
The administrative personnel is: Ana Coutinho, Isabel Barradas, Clara Rodrigues in full time; they manage all the administrative procedures related with the booking of consultations and laboratorial exams.

The Sleep Medicine Center has been recognized by the Psychologist National Association, by ISPA and by Escola Superior de Educação de Tecnologias da Saúde as competent for pos-graduate training.
In order to promote Portuguese Brazilian collaboration the CENC- Sleep Medicine Center promoted a award for published work in international peer review journals achieved by researchers or clinicians of both countries (for detailed information see www.centrodosono.com ): The Florbela Espanca Award, now in its 4rd edition
The quality and diversity of patients and recordings of the CENC- Sleep Medicine Center has allowed the execution of PhD and MSc thesis, both in Medicine and BME, in the last years, based on our own material and facilities. The present total is 3 PhD completed and 2 currently developping and 34Master thesis in Medicine, Biomedicall Engineering and Informatics).