Sleep disorders may have consequences that extend far beyond fatigue. New research from Florida International University (FIU) has found that several types of sleep disorders are associated with physical changes in brain regions responsible for attention, motivation, and decision-making. These findings suggest that disrupted sleep may be connected to important differences in the brain's structure.
Published in the journal Scientific Reports, the research offers one of the broadest examinations yet of the brain changes associated with different sleep disorders. The discoveries could eventually help scientists identify sleep problems earlier and develop treatments tailored to the specific brain systems involved.
An estimated 50 million to 70 million Americans experience sleep disorders, making them a major public health concern. To investigate their effects on the brain, scientists at FIU's Center for Children and Families combined and analyzed findings from 57 studies that used brain imaging to examine adults.
Rather than focusing on a single condition, the researchers compared several sleep disorders to determine whether they were associated with similar changes in brain structure. This approach, which is still relatively uncommon in sleep research, also allowed the team to identify differences specific to certain disorders.
Source: ScienceDaily - Psychology — Read the full article on the original site ↗