About the Center
211 S. Ninth Street
5th Floor, Suite 500
Philadelphia, PA 19107
New Appointments: 1-800-JEFF-NOW
Office Phone: 215-955-6175
Fax: 215-955-9783
The Jefferson Sleep Disorders Center is a comprehensive clinical, research and educational program in sleep and sleep disorders
medicine.
Founded in 1978 through grants from private sources and the National Institutes of Health, the center was the first such program
to be established in Philadelphia. It received its accreditation by the American Sleep Disorders Association in 1985. Its
core physicians and permanent consultants have faculty appointments in a variety of departments within the University, and
specialize in areas such as otolaryngology, pulmonary and critical care medicine, dentistry, pediatrics, urology, neurology,
psychiatry and psychology. The center’s Director, Karl Doghramji, MD, is board certified by the American Board of Sleep Medicine,
and its Technical Director, William Breuninger, is certified by the Association of Polysomnographic Technologists as a registered
polysomnographic technologist (RPSGT).
The Jefferson Sleep Disorders Center is engaged in the diagnosis and treatment of sleep disorders – most commonly, sleep apnea
syndromes, insomnia and narcolepsy.
Indicatives of sleep apnea syndrome include excessive daytime sleepiness, snoring, weight gain or obesity or respiratory pauses
observed by others. Patients with these warning signs should be referred for a sleep evaluation.
Excessive daytime sleepiness is also a primary symptom of narcolepsy. This can be diagnosed by a sleep laboratory study and
is usually treated effectively.
The center also evaluates sleep walking, sleep talking, night terrors, head banging, bedwetting, nightmares, convulsions and
other sleep-related disorders, and conducts nocturnal penile tumescence testing as a part of the evaluation of impotence.
Treatment modalities include devices such as continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP), oral appliances, medications and
psychotherapy. Behavioral management techniques are frequently employed, and include relaxation training with biofeedback,
hypnosis, stimulus control therapy, chronotherapy, sleep hygiene management, phototherapy and sleep restriction, among others.
Permanent consultants in otolaryngology also perform surgical procedures, most notably laser-assisted uvuloplasty (LAUPP),
an office-based procedure for the correction of snoring and obstructive sleep apnea syndrome.
If you feel you would benefit by an evaluation at the Jefferson Sleep Disorders Center, you may schedule an initial appointment
by calling 1-800-JEFF-NOW.
In addition to being the major referral facility for sleep-disordered patients in the Delaware Valley, the Sleep Disorders
Center at Jefferson draws referrals from other areas of the northeastern U.S. corridor as well. Physicians who would like
to directly refer a patient to our sleep laboratory for testing may call 215-955-6175 and speak with our staff regarding the direct referral process.
Our Clinical Office Coordinator and Chief Technician are available daily to answer any questions you or your physician may
have regarding the Jefferson Sleep Disorders Center.
