Information processing at sleep onset and during sleep in patients with insomnia

描述（由申请人提供）：慢性失眠被认为是过度觉醒的结果。虽然有大量的数据支持这一观点，但缺乏研究来定义过度觉醒如何干扰睡眠的开始、维持以及对睡眠质量和数量的感知。我们建议使用事件相关电位（ERP）技术来评估睡眠开始和睡眠期间的信息处理。在睡眠良好的人身上，ERP对信息处理的测量已经建立得很好；然而，它们还没有被应用于失眠问题。该项目的目标是检验一个前提，即失眠的发生和严重程度从根本上与“注意”和“识别”环境刺激的神经生物学准备有关。经过广泛的筛选，失眠和睡眠良好的患者将参加两个实验条件，要求他们在两周的时间里在睡眠实验室里度过四个晚上。将收集睡眠前、睡眠后和睡眠期间的ERP数据。这条研究路线的最终目标是确定1)失眠是否与睡眠开始时和/或睡眠期间抑制信息处理的失败有关；2)睡眠开始时和/或睡眠期间抑制信息处理的失败是否与失眠症状的发生和/或严重程度有关；3)哪些大脑区域的功能不同，从而导致信息处理异常。4)失眠的药物和/或认知行为治疗在多大程度上改变了信息处理异常和/或相关的大脑活动。失眠是普通人群中最普遍的睡眠障碍，可能是所有医学和精神疾病中最常见的。虽然有些人认为失眠只是一种烦恼，但有大量证据表明，慢性失眠是导致医学和精神疾病的重要风险因素。因此，进行研究来定义“什么是失眠”（超越对这种疾病的主观体验）是至关重要的。这可能不仅有助于开发更好的治疗方法，而且有助于更好地理解失眠以及“如何以及为什么”会导致其他疾病的风险。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): Chronic insomnia is thought to occur as a result of hyperarousal. While there is a wealth of data to support this position, there is a lack of research to define how hyperarousal interferes with sleep initiation, maintenance, and the perception of sleep quality and quantity. We propose to use Event-related Potential (ERP) techniques to evaluate information processing at sleep onset and during sleep. ERP measures of information processing have been well established in good sleepers; they have not been, however, applied to the problem of insomnia. The goal of the project is to examine the premise that the occurrence and severity of insomnia is fundamentally related to a neurobiologic preparedness to "attend to" and "identify" environmental stimuli. Following an extensive screening, patients with insomnia and good sleepers will participate in two experimental conditions, requiring that they spend four nights in the sleep laboratory over a two week period. ERP data will be gathered prior to, following, and during sleep. The ultimate objectives for this line of research are to determine 1) if insomnia is associated with a failure to inhibit information processing at sleep onset and/or during sleep, 2) if the failure to inhibit information processing at sleep onset and/or during sleep is associated with the occurrence and/or severity of insomnia symptoms, 3) what brain regions are functioning differently so as to give rise to information processing abnormalities, and 4) the extent to which pharmacologic and/or Cognitive Behavioral treatment for insomnia alters information processing abnormalities and/or the associated brain activity. Insomnia is the most prevalent sleep disorder in the general population and may be the most common of all the medical and psychiatric disorders. While considered by some to be merely an annoyance, there is a great deal of evidence that chronic insomnia is a significant risk factor for medical and psychiatric illness. Thus, it is critical to undertake research which may define "what insomnia is" (beyond the subjective experience of the disorder). This may allow for not only the development of better treatments but also for a better understanding of and "how and why" insomnia confers risk for other illnesses.