Bedřich Roth: pioneer in sleep medicine

Bedřich Roth was a Czech neurologist who dedicated his professional life to the study of sleep medicine. Shortly after WW2 he initiated a research program with an exclusive focus on narcolepsy and the hypersomnias. At the young age of 38 years, he published his first book. It was in Czech but had extensive English and Russian summaries. In 1967 he spent a study period in Marseille with Professor Henri Gastaut, who was very impressed by this bright and hardworking young neurologist. Dr. Roth, with his colleague Sona Nevšímalová, was the first to publish on the high frequency of depression in patients with narcolepsy and hypersomnia. He was the first person to define Idiopathic Hypersomnia and, along with Allan Rechtschaffen, to document the high frequency of sleep drunkenness in such patients. His many contributions, and his 65th birthday, were celebrated in 1984. Dr. Roth developed Hodgkin's lymphoma and passed away in November 1989. A conference celebrating his life and career took place in Prague in 2009. In 2015 the annual worldwide Idiopathic Hypersomnia Awareness Week organized by Michelle Chadwick celebrated the 35th anniversary of his 1980 book "Narcolepsy and Hypersomnia". Dr. Roth was the first physician to dedicate his entire career to sleep medicine and his publications predated by more than two decades those of all other authors. Bedřich Roth should therefore be considered to be the true father of sleep medicine. He was known widely for his integrity, humility, honesty, and his perseverance to achieve his goals.