Nature and Science of Sleep

Consciousness remains one of the most elusive and fascinating mysteries of life. Every day and night, human beings and other species naturally transition between consciousness and unconsciousness, i.e., between wakefulness and sleep. A disruption of this process can result in sleep-wake disorders, such as central disorders of hypersomnolence, parasomnia, or insomnia. However, the alteration of consciousness or presence of unconsciousness is not limited to sleep-wake cycles but includes other prominent examples such as anaesthesia, disorders of consciousness (e.g. due to brainstem lesions), epilepsy, and neuro-psychiatric disorders (e.g., encephalitis or psychosis).

The identification of essential brain structures and their associated networks involved in the regulation of sleep-wake functions and other altered states of consciousness is key to the understanding of the formation and modulation of consciousness. This fundamental pillar of neuroscience contributes to the understanding of (patho)physiology and forms the foundation for diagnosis, prognostication, and therapeutic approaches of many disorders.

We welcome original articles, study protocols, and reviews (narrative and systematic) that highlight new advances and provide insight into the fundamentals of sleep and consciousness. Although submissions should be sleep-wake related, this call emphasizes inter- and transdisciplinary research.

Areas of interest include but are not limited to:

• Theoretical concepts
• Innovative study protocols
• Novel methodologies for monitoring sleep and consciousness
• The impact of circadian rhythms on sleep-wake and consciousness
• New therapeutic concepts for improving sleep-wake functions and promotion of consciousness
• Public health implications of disorders affecting sleep-wake and consciousness

There is no restriction on species.

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Submission Instructions:

Please submit your manuscript through the Dovepress website. During submission, enter the promo code VVTXY to indicate that your article should be considered for this Collection.

All manuscripts submitted to this Article Collection will undergo full peer-review; Guest Advisors will not be handling submitted articles. Please review the journal’s aims and scope and author submission instructions prior to submission.

The manuscript submission deadline is 15 November 2024.

If you have any questions about this Article Collection, please contact Krista Thom at [email protected].

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Guest Advisor:

Dr. David Schreier, M.D., Ph.D., is a neurologist and neuroscientist with expertise in sleep-wake medicine and consciousness research. He completed his neurology training at the Inselspital, Bern University Hospital, and received his Ph.D. from the University of Bern, Switzerland. He currently works at the Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, where he is investigating mechanisms related to altered states of consciousness (including sleep, anesthesia, and disorders of consciousness).

Disclosure Statement: David Schreier is a grantee from the Swiss National Science Foundation (SNSF). The title of his running project (P500PM_210834) is “Modulation of Brain Networks Promoting Consciousness in Anaesthetised, Asleep, and Injured Brains (ARISE)”. The project investigates altered states of consciousness (including sleep, anesthesia, and disorders of consciousness). Principal investigators of host laboratories for this work at the Massachusetts General Hospital/Harvard Medical School and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) are: Emery N. Brown, Brian L. Edlow, and Ken Solt.

Instructions for AuthorsSubmit an Article