Insomnia linked to damage in brain communication networks

Posted on April 6, 2016

Photo: flickr

Using a sophisticated MRI technique, researchers have found abnormalities in the brain's white matter tracts in patients with insomnia.

Primary insomnia, in which individuals have difficulty falling or staying asleep for a month or longer, is associated with daytime fatigue, mood disruption and cognitive impairment. Insomnia can also lead to depression and anxiety disorders.

Results of the analysis showed that compared to the healthy controls, the insomnia patients had significantly reduced white matter integrity in several right-brain regions, and the thalamus which regulates consciousness, sleep and alertness.

In addition, abnormalities in the thalamus and body corpus callosum--the largest white matter structure in the brain--were associated with the duration of patients' insomnia and score on self-rating depression scale.

The study also found that underlying cause of white matter integrity abnormalities in insomnia patients may be loss of myelin, the protective coating around nerve fibers.


Category(s):Sleep Disorders

Source material from Radiological Society of North America