The Sleep Neuroimaging Research Program, directed by Eric A. Nofzinger, M.D., is within the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, Western Psychiatric Institute and Clinic located in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.

The primary aim of the Sleep Neuroimaging Research Program is to identify changes in function in different brain regions across the sleep wake cycle in health and in disease.  We believe that by doing so we can discover alterations in function related to different disease states.  Identification of altered brain function may eventually provide clues as to the appropriate treatment for different disorders.  Our approach to studying brain function during sleep is to combine several state-of-the art research methods in sleep analysis and in functional brain imaging.  These include polysomnography with spectral analysis of the EEG, positron emission tomography (PET) studies of regional cerebral brain glucose metabolism, and functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) studies of the brain.  These methods provide both high temporal and spatial resolution for measuring brain function during sleep.  The Sleep Neuroimaging Research Program is currently studying a variety of disease states ranging from depression to insomnia to aging to obstructive sleep apnea with plans to extend these studies to other disorders.  Funding for this work has been obtained from the National Institute of Health (NIH), private foundations and industry.

If you are interested in participating in a research study, please contact the Project Coordinator at 412-246-6448 or contact us via the web.