Functional Neuroimaging Evidence for Hyperarousal in Insomnia

The authors investigated the neurobiological basis of poor sleep and daytime fatigue in insomnia. METHOD: [(18)F]Fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography was used to assess regional cerebral glucose metabolism of seven patients with insomnia and 20 healthy subjects.

Compared with healthy subjects, patients with insomnia showed greater global cerebral glucose metabolism during sleep and while awake, a smaller decline in relative metabolism from waking to sleep states in wake-promoting regions, and reduced relative metabolism in the prefrontal cortex while awake.