Neuroimaging and sleep medicine

In sleep medicine, patients with steep disorders are evaluated and treated. The primary assessment toot of the field has traditionally been polysomnography. While polysomnography has been helpful in the evaluation of some steep disorders, such as steep apnea syndrome and periodic limb movement disorder, it has been less helpful in others, such as the insomnias, or steep disorders secondary to mental disorders. These disorders are presumed to stem from some alteration in brain function that disrupts steep. The development of functional neuroimaging methods provides a means to understand brain function in patients with steep disorders in a manner not accessible to polysomnography. This paper summarizes functional neuroimaging findings during healthy steep, then, reviews available studies in steep disorders patients, and studies addressing the pharmacology of steep and steep disorders. Areas in which functional neuroimaging methods may be helpful in steep medicine, and in which future development is advised, include: (1) clarification of pathophysiology; (2) aid in differential diagnosis; (3) assessment of treatment response; (4) guiding new drug development; and (5) monitoring treatment response. (c) 2004 Elsevier Ltd. All. rights reserved.