SleepAug 2, 2023

Changes in Amygdala Brain Connections at Rest in Chronic Insomnia Linked to Sleep Brainwave Patterns

Circadian Biology Weekly Brief ↗PubMed ↗DOI ↗

Updated Apr 5, 2026

Abstract

Patients with chronic insomnia disorder (CID) exhibited more negative resting-state functional connectivity between the right amygdala and left supramarginal gyrus compared to good sleepers.

Altered resting-state functional connectivity (RSFC) in CID patients suggests differences in brain network activity related to hyperarousal.
CID patients showed reduced positive RSFC between the left anterior insula and bilateral lateral prefrontal cortex compared to good sleepers.
A negative correlation was observed between RSFC of the right amygdala-left supramarginal gyrus and EEG beta power in central regions during sleep.
Increased EEG beta power in CID patients during sleep may indicate a link to daytime hyperarousal experienced by these individuals.

Simplified

STUDY OBJECTIVES: This study investigated alterations in resting-state functional connectivity (RSFC) and hyperarousal biomarkers in patients with chronic insomnia disorder (CID), compared with good sleepers (GS). We also examined the relationships between altered RSFC and hyperarousal biomarkers.

METHODS: Fifty patients with CID and 52 GS completed self-reporting questionnaires, and then underwent polysomnography and resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging. We analyzed RSFC in the amygdala (AMG) and anterior insula (aINS), which are core regions of the salience network that are likely to be involved in hyperarousal. We also analyzed electroencephalography (EEG) relative beta power and heart rate variability (HRV) parameters (e.g. low and high frequency) during sleep. We then tested between-group differences in the RSFC and hyperarousal biomarkers; we examined correlations of RSFC with EEG beta power and HRV.

RESULTS: Compared with GS, patients with CID showed more negative RSFC between the right amygdala (R.AMG) and left supramarginal gyrus (L.SMG), but less positive RSFC between the left aINS and bilateral lateral prefrontal cortex. The R.AMG-L.SMG RSFC was negatively correlated with EEG beta power in central regions (C3: r = -0.336, p = 0.012; C4: r = -0.314, p = 0.024).

CONCLUSIONS: Decreased RSFC between the R.AMG and L.SMG in patients with insomnia may reflect the difficulty in cortical top-down regulation of the AMG, indicating daytime hyperarousal. Individuals who experience hyperarousal during the daytime may also exhibit cortical hyperarousal during sleep, as indicated by increased EEG beta power.

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Changes in Amygdala Brain Connections at Rest in Chronic Insomnia Linked to Sleep Brainwave Patterns

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