About the SLEEP SCIENCE journal

The Sleep Science Journal, published online every three months, is the official journal of the Brazilian Association of Sleep (ABS) and the Federation of Latin American Sleep Societies (FLASS). The journal publishes scientific studies related to chronobiology, sleep, and associated areas.

Until recently, few researchers in Brazil dedicated their interests to the study of sleep. Among the most prominent was Professor César Timo-Laria, who was responsible for the qualification of dozens of scholars working in this area. Around the same time, chronobiological tools that allowed a dramatic improvement in the field have become available. Thanks to the diligence of Brazilian pioneers who dedicated their efforts to the study of chronobiology and sleep, such areas have been consolidated and are now investigated by hundreds of talented researchers.

The Sleep Science Journal has emerged in response to the rapidly increasing number of sleep-related manuscripts; it aims to publish the results of national and international research, with focus on studies conducted in cooperation with Latin American research groups.

Sleep Science Award

Sleep Science proudly comes to its fourth year of existence. During this time, Sleep Science has effectively represented the Associação Brasileira de Sono (Brazilian Association of Sleep) and the Federación Latinoamericana de Sociedades de Sueño (Latin American Federation of Sleep Societies) among the international scientifi c community. For the past three years, this journal has served as an important vehicle in which authors of different nationalities, as Brazil and Latin America, have published their papers.

Throughout these past years, Sleep Science has met its goals and is now consolidated as an important publication related to the Sleep and Chronobiology. Among the targets we have met, is the elaboration of an effi cient graphic and editorial project, as well as the assemblage of a body of reputable editors and reviewers, who enjoy international recognition and that are able to handle a constant stream of papers submitted yearly, in a timely fashion. At present, our immediate objectives are the implementation of an online submission system and the indexation in international databases. This will expose Sleep Science to realms much beyond Latin America.

Our achievements over the years, and those of the future, rely on the joint efforts of editors, revisers and, mainly, authors. Thus, in order to recognize the efforts of the authors, as well as to stimulate the submission of scientifi c literature, we proudly announce the creation of the Sleep Science Award for best study published in our journal. The award will be offered in the form of a monetary check for best paper, and certifi cates for second and third places. This fi rst edition of Sleep Science Award will be announced during the XIII Brazilian Sleep Congress to be held from November 12 through 15, and will be offered to the best papers published in issues 3 and 4. For more information regarding this award, please consult http://www.sleepscience.com.br

With this award, we expect to live up to the trust we have in the authors who submit their papers to Sleep Science and to valorize the prime sleep research that is conducted in Brazil and Latin America.

The Publishers

The Flávio Alóe Award

It was in early 2011 that the Brazilian Sleep Association, its members, and the scientific sleep community sadly learned of the passing of Dr. Flávio Alóe. A distinguished member of the scientific community, Dr. Alóe was held in the highest esteem by his fellow researchers and sleep physicians worldwide. It was his professional rigor and sound knowledge of the subject that led him to the higher stances of his career.

The demise of such an emblematic figure as Dr. Alóe deeply saddened the sleep medicine community and has prompted some representatives of the field to create the Flávio Alóe Award. Dr. Carlos H. Schenck, the renowned researcher and psychiatrist at the University of Minnesota Medical School kindly proposed the award and led the efforts that culminated in its creation. This elegant form of recognition purports to award the best Abstracts presented at the XIII Brazilian Sleep Congress (Belo Horizonte, November 12 through 15, 2011). Thus, The Brazilian Sleep Association, by means of its chairperson Dr. Francisco Hora Fontes, and the Scientific Board of the XIII Brazilian Sleep Congress, Dr. Monica Andersen, along with Dr. Schenck, have the pleasure of extending the Flávio Alóe Award to the following Abstracts:

First place:

Padrão do sono, exercício e neuropeptídios (Sleep Pattern, Exercise and Neuropeptides). Alves ES, Souza HS, Lira FS, Pimentel GD, Santos RVT, Oyama LM, Dâmaso AR, Nascimento CMO, Viana VAR, Boscolo RA, Grassmann V, Santana MG, Esteves AM, Tufik S, de Mello MT.

Second Place:

Avaliação da variabilidade cardíaca e pressão arterial em pacientes com narcolepsia, apneia obstrutiva do sono e controles (Assessing Cardiac Variability and Blood Pressure in narcoleptic Patients with Obstructive Sleep Apnea Subjects and Controls). Rios LF, Rizzi CF, Cintra FD, Souza AA, Coelho FM, Pradella-Hallinan M, Bittencourt LRA, Tufik S, Poyares D.

Third place:

Critical closing pressure and upper airway anatomy. Genta PR, Schorr F, Danzi NJ, Gregório MG, Gebrim E, Lopes A, Moriya HT, Kayamori F, Lorenzi-Filho G.

We express our hopes that the same qualities that characterized Dr. Alóe and that made him a reference figure in the investigation of sleep will survive in those who are awarded the prize that carries his name.

Yours truly,

Carlos H. Schenck, Monica L. Andersen, Francisco H. Fontes