Human Sleep

Healthy sleep is vital to an individual's well-being, productivity, and long-term health. SRI researchers perform sleep research studies of common sleep disorders and investigate the causes of sleep disruption at the molecular and neurological level.

The Human Sleep Research Program at SRI's Center for Health Sciences conducts comprehensive research on brain structure and function. For the National Institutes of Health and other clients, SRI researchers use cognitive tests, electroencephalography measures, and innovative magnetic resonance imaging techniques. For medical device developers, SRI also conducts Food and Drug Administration 510(k) trials.

Current sleep research in SRI Biosciences is conducted to create new insomnia treatments for sleep disturbances related to shift work, jet lag, age, and fatigue. Reserachers also work toward finding a narcolepsy treatment. A discovery by this group elucidated the relationship between the hypocretin/orexin system and sleep disorders.

Projects

man lying awake with his head on a pillow
Brain Changes Associated with Sleep Deprivation

Lack of sleep can lead to a range of cognitive, attention, and emotional deficits. SRI and its partner have made a thorough study of its effects on the brain.

Topics: Human Sleep
a glowing blue neuron
Hypocretin Agonists as Treatments for Narcolepsy + Wakefulness

SRI sleep researchers are working to discover and develop new treatments for narcoleptic patients.

Topics: Human Sleep Medicinal Chemistry Sleep Disorders
scientist working at a computer
Improving Cognitive Deficits

SRI is investigating novel methods and treatments to improve cognitive deficits caused by diseases such as Alzheimer’s and depression.

Topics: Behavioral Health Behavioral Pharmacology Cognition and Central Nervous System Disorders Drug Discovery Human Sleep Neuroscience Stress Disorders
middle-aged woman relaxing on bed
Sleep and Reproductive Transitions in Menopausal Women

Sleep complaints are common during the transition to menopause, yet we have little understanding of what drives this increase in sleep disturbance and how best to treat it. SRI researchers are investigating sleep quality in women who have begun to go through menopause.

Topics: Human Sleep Sleep Disorders
cigarette being snapped in half
Treatment of Nicotine Dependence in a Healthcare Setting

SRI is analyzing the genetics of smoking and related characteristics, using data from a large-scale National Cancer Institute study on smoking cessation.

Topics: Addiction Research Aging Research Basic Cancer Research Disease Focus Areas Human Sleep Neurodegenerative Diseases Neuroscience Twins Research
twin boys
Twin Research Registry at SRI International

SRI established the Twin Research Registry as part of its scientific research and efforts to discover more about human behavior. Fraternal and identical twins and multiples of all ages are invited to join the Registry for consideration for research studies.

Topics: Addiction Research Aging Research Behavioral Health Disease Focus Areas Human Sleep Metabolic Diseases Neurodegenerative Diseases Neuroscience Sleep Disorders Twins Research

Press Releases

Gary Swang, director of SRI International's Center for Health Sciences
Gary Swan Elected President of the Society for Research on Nicotine and Tobacco

Gary E. Swan, Ph.D., director of SRI International's Center for Health Sciences, has been elected by the membership of the Society for Research on Nicotine and Tobacco (SRNT) as its president-elect and will serve as president in 2012.

Topics: Addiction Research Aging Research Disease Focus Areas Human Sleep Neurodegenerative Diseases Neuroscience Sleep Disorders Statistical Analysis
Joseph Rogers
Joseph Rogers Joins SRI International as Executive Director of New Health Sciences Section in Biosciences Division

In his career, Rogers has focused on age-related neurologic diseases. He is best known for showing that inflammatory responses occur in almost all major age-related brain disorders and cause substantial damage, with his seminal paper in the area receiving nearly 1,200 citations to date.

Topics: Addiction Research Aging Research Behavioral Health Biomarkers Human Sleep Metabolic Diseases Neurodegenerative Diseases Neuroscience
SRI International Research on Sleep and Wakefulness Featured in Neurobiology Select Series of the Journal Cell

Two papers co-authored by SRI researchers have been highlighted in the “Neurobiology Select” section of Cell, a scientific journal.

Topics: Human Sleep Pharmaceutical R+D
SRI International Research Team Identifies Rare Sleep-Activated Neurons in the Cerebral Cortex

An SRI International research team, led by Dmitry Gerashchenko and Thomas Kilduff, has identified the first example of neurons that are activated in the cerebral cortex during slow wave sleep (SWS).

Topics: Human Sleep
Cafe Scienfique Silicon Valley @ SRI: Raging Hormones and Their Effects on a Woman's Sleep Quality over Her Lifetime (Part 3)

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