The Effect of Tailored Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy for Insomnia on Brain’s Resting-State Networks

Purpose Insomnia is a highly prevalent disorder with important implications for health and well-being. It is well known the “hyperarousal hypothesis” in insomnia which assumes that patients present high levels of activation, in particular, cortical arousal. Methods A preliminary resting-state fMRI experiment comprising two non-medicated insomnia patients was performed to evaluate whether cognitive-behavioral therapy for insomnia (CBT-I) changes the activation patterns of the most known resting-state brain networks, particularly, the default-mode network (DMN). Results As main results, we found modifications in the anterior component of the DMN, in the visual network, and in the auditory network after successful CBT-I. The most notable result was a decreased activity in the medial prefrontal cortex from pre- to post-intervention. Conclusion Findings from this preliminary study suggest that psychological treatment may translate modifications in neural activity of insomnia patients.