Neurobiology and Pharmacology of Sleep Disorders in Otolaryngology

The Centers for Disease Control reports that over 40 million Americans suffer from chronic sleep disturbances, and the American Academy of Sleep Medicine identifies over 80 distinct sleep disorders. This number may actually be higher, as sleep disturbances are often underreported or mistaken as a consequence of other pathological or pharmacologic processes. Symptoms associated with sleep disorders, such as decline in memory, concentration, fatigue, or irritability, tend to be nonspecific, making it easy to overlook the contributing role that poor sleep plays. Progress in sleep research has revealed that sleep loss and drowsiness play a significant role in cognitive performance, in quality of life, and in causing catastrophic accidents. Growing awareness of sleep quality and habits has allowed us to pay closer attention to the many factors that influence sleep, including diet, mood, technology, and environmental factors. This chapter will provide an overview of the technical tools commonly utilized in both clinical and animal models of sleep studies with a small discussion on circadian sleep disorders. In the following section, we will examine translational animal research models used to study four of the most common human sleep disorders: insomnia, narcolepsy, sleep apnea, and parasomnias, such as restless leg syndrome. Finally, we will discuss new developments in the field of optogenetics and their applicability in animal models for the advancement of sleep medicine.