Development and Impact of Brain Imaging Techniques

Over the past two decades, neuroimaging techniques, including structural and more recently functional imaging assessments, have been applied to sleep studies, and have significantly enhanced our current understanding of sleeping process and its disorders. These techniques have provided key information about both brain structure and function. In this chapter, we review both of these aspects and their applications in the field of sleep research. At first, we provide an overview of the different imaging techniques and findings they brought to normal human sleep, together with their shortcomings and advantages. Subsequently, we present a summarized overview of imaging studies that have been applied to understand the interface between sleep and memory. Finally, we will display illustrative examples of imaging studies that focused on the neural correlates of sleep disorders, such as primary insomnia, obstructive sleep apnea syndrome, and narcolepsy. Knowledge on the cerebral correlates associated to these sleep impairments may ultimately hint to their possible diagnosis and therapeutic managements.