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Foreword
We spend about one-third of our life either sleeping or attempting to do so. Sleep is not only comforting, but is
also essential for our normal cognitive functioning and for our survival. Yet sleep can be disturbed or abnormal
in up to one-quarter of the US population. The field of sleep medicine has developed dramatically in the past
few years. To reflect these advances, we are proud to introduce the present two volumes, which are a novelty in
several respects. It is the first time that two Handbook volumes have been dedicated entirely to sleep and its dis-
orders. Readers will find in these two volumes considerable emphasis on recent developments in the field. There is
a new focus on diagnostic techniques, particularly imaging. Fresh attention is given to genetics and clinical aspects
of sleep. Finally, there is extensive coverage of management and of new therapeutic strategies for sleep disorders.
The volumes were edited by Pasquale Montagna and Sudhansu Chokroverty. As series editors, we reviewed
all the chapters and made suggestions for improvement, but we are delighted that the volume editors and chapter
authors produced such scholarly and comprehensive accounts of different aspects of sleep and its disorders.
Hence we hope that these volumes will appeal to clinicians and neuroscientists alike. Significant new advances,
particularly in terms of diagnosis and therapy, lead to new insights that demand a critical appraisal. Our goal is
to provide basic researchers with the foundations for new approaches to the study of these disorders, and clin-
icians with a state-of-the-art reference that summarizes the clinical features and management of the many neu-
rological manifestations of sleep disorders. In addition to the print form, the Handbook series is now available
electronically on Elsevier’s Science Direct site. This should make it even more accessible to readers and should
facilitate searches for specific information.
We are grateful to the two volume editors and to the numerous authors who contributed their time and expertise
to summarize developments in their field and helped put together these outstanding volumes. As always, we are
grateful to the team at Elsevier and in particular to Mr. Michael Parkinson, Ms. Caroline Cockrell, and Mr. Timothy
Horne for their unfailing and expert assistance in the development and production of these volumes.
Michael J. Aminoff
Franc¸ois Boller
Dick F. Swaab
