This book reviews current knowledge on the importance of sleep for brain
function, from molecular mechanisms to behavioral output, with special
emphasis on the question of how sleep and sleep loss ultimately affect
cognition and mood. It provides an extensive overview of the latest
insights in the role of sleep in regulating gene expression, synaptic
plasticity and neurogenesis and how that in turn is linked to learning
and memory processes. In addition, readers will learn about the
potential clinical implications of insufficient sleep and discover how
chronically restricted or disrupted sleep may contribute to age-related
cognitive decline and the development of psychiatric disorders such as
schizophrenia and depression. The book consists of 19 chapters, written
by experts in basic sleep research and sleep medicine, which together
cover a wide range of topics on the importance of sleep and consequences
of sleep disruption. This book will be of interest to students,
researchers and clinicians with a general interest in brain function or
a specific interest in sleep.