Surreal dreamscape illustrating sleepwalking and altered brain activity.

Unlocking the Sleepwalking Brain: New Insights into Nighttime Wandering

Kai Mendoza in Health & Wellness November 2025 • 4 min read.

"Groundbreaking research reveals how altered brain activity during sleep and wakefulness may trigger sleepwalking episodes, offering clues for better management and potential treatments."

Sleepwalking, also known as somnambulism, is a fascinating and sometimes alarming phenomenon characterized by performing complex activities while still asleep. Affecting up to 4% of adults, it's more than just a quirky behavior; it can involve risks of injury and has long puzzled sleep researchers.

Traditionally, sleepwalking has been viewed as a disorder of arousal, where the brain struggles to transition fully from sleep to wakefulness. However, recent research is shifting this perspective, highlighting the importance of slow-wave sleep (SWS)—the deepest stage of non-rapid eye movement (NREM) sleep—and the unique brain dynamics that occur during these episodes.

Now, a new study utilizing single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) has shed light on the distinct brain perfusion patterns in sleepwalkers, both during wakefulness after sleep deprivation and during slow-wave sleep. This groundbreaking research offers fresh insights into the neurological underpinnings of sleepwalking and potential avenues for future interventions.

Decoding the Sleepwalking Brain: Key Findings

Surreal dreamscape illustrating sleepwalking and altered brain activity.

The study compared 10 sleepwalkers with 10 age- and sex-matched controls, examining their brain activity using SPECT scans after a period of sleep deprivation. This approach allowed researchers to observe how brain perfusion—the delivery of blood to brain tissues—differed between the two groups in both resting-state wakefulness and during SWS.

The results revealed a compelling pattern of reduced regional cerebral perfusion in sleepwalkers compared to controls, particularly in several key brain areas:

Frontal Regions: Sleepwalkers exhibited decreased perfusion in bilateral frontal regions, including the superior frontal, middle frontal, and medial frontal gyri. These areas are crucial for higher-level cognitive functions like decision-making and impulse control.
Parietal and Temporal Regions: During slow-wave sleep, reduced perfusion was also found in the left postcentral gyrus, insula, and superior temporal gyrus. These regions are involved in sensory processing, body awareness, and auditory processing.
Increased Perfusion in the Right Parahippocampal Gyrus: Interestingly, during wakefulness, sleepwalkers showed increased perfusion in the right parahippocampal gyrus, an area associated with memory and spatial navigation.

These findings suggest that sleepwalkers have distinct brain activity patterns that may predispose them to episodes of nighttime wandering. The reduced activity in frontal regions could explain the impaired judgment and decision-making often observed during sleepwalking, while changes in parietal and temporal areas might contribute to altered sensory experiences and awareness of surroundings.

Implications and Future Directions

This study opens exciting new avenues for understanding and potentially treating sleepwalking. By identifying specific brain regions involved in the disorder, researchers can now focus on developing targeted interventions to normalize brain activity and reduce the frequency and severity of episodes. Further research is needed to explore the long-term effects of these brain perfusion differences and to determine whether interventions like cognitive behavioral therapy or targeted brain stimulation can effectively address the underlying neurological imbalances in sleepwalkers. This research paves the way for a future where sleepwalking is better understood and managed, leading to safer and more restful nights for those affected.

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This article is based on research published under:

DOI-LINK: 10.1093/sleep/zsy039, Alternate LINK

Title: Altered Brain Perfusion Patterns In Wakefulness And Slow-Wave Sleep In Sleepwalkers

Subject: Physiology (medical)

Journal: Sleep

Publisher: Oxford University Press (OUP)

Authors: Marie-Ève Desjardins, Andrée-Ann Baril, Jean-Paul Soucy, Thien Thanh Dang-Vu, Alex Desautels, Dominique Petit, Jacques Montplaisir, Antonio Zadra

Published: 2018-03-03

Everything You Need To Know

What is sleepwalking (somnambulism), and what brain regions are specifically implicated based on recent research?

Sleepwalking, also known as somnambulism, involves performing complex activities while asleep and affects up to 4% of adults. It's characterized by reduced regional cerebral perfusion, especially in frontal regions like the superior, middle, and medial frontal gyri, impacting decision-making and impulse control. During slow-wave sleep, reduced perfusion in parietal and temporal regions such as the left postcentral gyrus, insula, and superior temporal gyrus affects sensory and auditory processing. There is also increased perfusion in the right parahippocampal gyrus, an area tied to memory and spatial navigation during wakefulness.

How did the SPECT scans identify differences in brain activity between sleepwalkers and the control group?

The study used single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) to compare brain activity in sleepwalkers and a control group after sleep deprivation. SPECT scans measured brain perfusion—the delivery of blood to brain tissues—during wakefulness and slow-wave sleep (SWS). This allowed researchers to identify distinct patterns of reduced regional cerebral perfusion in specific brain areas of sleepwalkers, such as the frontal, parietal, and temporal regions, and increased perfusion in the right parahippocampal gyrus during wakefulness.

How might reduced perfusion in frontal regions, parietal regions, and temporal regions during sleepwalking affect a person's behavior and awareness?

Reduced perfusion in the frontal regions, including the superior frontal, middle frontal, and medial frontal gyri, may impair judgment and decision-making during sleepwalking episodes. Changes in parietal and temporal areas, such as the left postcentral gyrus, insula, and superior temporal gyrus, could alter sensory experiences and awareness of surroundings. Increased perfusion in the right parahippocampal gyrus, may relate to spatial navigation, which explains how someone can navigate their home during an episode. Future research could explore the long-term cognitive effects of these perfusion differences.

What interventions might help normalize brain activity in sleepwalkers, and which specific brain regions are the targets for these interventions?

Current interventions aim to normalize brain activity in sleepwalkers. Cognitive behavioral therapy could help address the underlying neurological imbalances. Further research might explore targeted brain stimulation techniques. The goal is to reduce the frequency and severity of episodes by focusing on areas like the frontal regions (superior frontal, middle frontal, and medial frontal gyri), parietal and temporal regions (left postcentral gyrus, insula, and superior temporal gyrus), and the right parahippocampal gyrus. Understanding sleepwalking is crucial, as these altered brain dynamics need precise and targeted intervention.

What genetic or environmental factors were not addressed that might predispose individuals to sleepwalking and the altered brain activity patterns?

The study identified reduced regional cerebral perfusion in the frontal regions, parietal regions, and temporal regions of sleepwalkers, along with increased perfusion in the right parahippocampal gyrus. It did not explore the specific genetic or environmental factors that might predispose individuals to these altered brain activity patterns. Future research could investigate whether certain genes or early-life experiences increase the likelihood of developing sleepwalking and how these factors might interact with brain perfusion patterns. The study focuses on perfusion and brain activity during sleepwalking episodes, but other brain changes could be linked with sleepwalking development.