Dr. Bixler's major research interest in the neurosciences is the electrophysiology of sleep and its disorders. His approach in sleep research is on two levels. On the first level, he studies sleep in normal individuals and patients with sleep disorders and identifies the differences between these two populations. Relevant parameters in the study of the electrophysiology of sleep include the distribution of sleep states, as well as EEG frequency bands, the patterns of wakefulness within a nocturnal sleep period, and the neurophysiologic indicators of disturbed sleep, such as nocturnal myoclonus and disordered breathing. The second level of his studies is the identification of any relationship that each of these neurophysiologic indicators has with various factors, such as age, sex, and the presence of a complaint of a sleep disorder and/or psychopathology. In this way the electrophysiologic pattern of sleep, which is related to a sleep complaint and/or psychopathology, can be identified and lead to a better understanding of the etiology of the sleep disorder.