In the primary insomnia group, amygdala activity was significantly higher during reappraisal than during passive viewing. In analysis between groups, amygdala activity during reappraisal trials was significantly greater in the primary insomnia group, compared with activity in good sleepers. The two groups did not significantly differ when passively viewing negative pictures.
“Previous studies have demonstrated that successful emotion regulation using reappraisal decreases amygdala response in healthy individuals, yet we were surprised that activity was even higher during reappraisal of, versus passive viewing of, pictures with negative emotional content in this sample of individuals with primary insomnia,” said Dr. Franzen.
The American Academy of Sleep Medicine reports that about 10% to 15% of adults have an insomnia disorder with distress or daytime impairment. According to the National Institute of Mental Health, 6.7% of the US adult population has major depressive disorder. Both insomnia and depression are more common in women than in men.