World's Best Scientists 2026 revealed!
Award Badge
Neuroscience
Austria
2026

D-Index & Metrics

Neuroscience

D-Index
98
Citations
28829
World Ranking
809
National Ranking
8

Medicine

D-Index
99
Citations
28960
World Ranking
8701
National Ranking
44

Research.com Recognitions

  • 2026 - Research.com Neuroscience in Austria Leader Award
  • 2025 - Research.com Neuroscience in Austria Leader Award

Overview

Birgit Högl is affiliated with Innsbruck Medical University in Austria and has a prolific record in medical and neuroscience research. Their academic work spans 182 publications in Medicine and 117 in Neuroscience, with a focus on various subfields including Neurology, Cognitive Neuroscience, Epidemiology, Experimental and Cognitive Psychology, and Physiology.

The main topics covered in their research include:

  • Sleep and Wakefulness Research
  • Parkinson's Disease Mechanisms and Treatments
  • Restless Legs Syndrome Research
  • Sleep and related disorders
  • Neurological disorders and treatments
  • Obstructive Sleep Apnea Research
  • Neuroscience of respiration and sleep

Birgit Högl has contributed to several frequent publication venues, which include:

  • Sleep Medicine
  • bioRxiv (Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory)
  • SLEEP
  • Journal of Sleep Research
  • Movement Disorders

Significant recent papers authored by or in collaboration with Birgit Högl include:

  • The need to promote sleep health in public health agendas across the globe (2023, The Lancet Public Health)
  • Biomarkers of conversion to α-synucleinopathy in isolated rapid-eye-movement sleep behaviour disorder (2021, The Lancet Neurology)
  • Alpha-synuclein seeds in olfactory mucosa of patients with isolated REM sleep behaviour disorder (2021, Brain)
  • Video-polysomnography procedures for diagnosis of rapid eye movement sleep behavior disorder (RBD) and the identification of its prodromal stages: guidelines from the International RBD Study Group (2021, SLEEP)
  • Speech Biomarkers in Rapid Eye Movement Sleep Behavior Disorder and Parkinson Disease (2021, Annals of Neurology)

The scientist has collaborated frequently with several co-authors, including:

  • Ambra Stefani
  • Anna Heidbreder
  • Matteo Cesari
  • Abubaker Ibrahim
  • Evi Holzknecht

This profile reflects a research career characterized by extensive multidisciplinary contributions to sleep medicine, neurology, and associated neurological disorders, with a strong emphasis on disorders such as rapid eye movement sleep behavior disorder and Parkinson's disease.

Best Publications

  • Risk and predictors of dementia and parkinsonism in idiopathic REM sleep behaviour disorder: a multicentre study

    Ronald B Postuma;Alex Iranzo;Michele Hu;Birgit Högl

  • The Parkinson’s disease sleep scale: a new instrument for assessing sleep and nocturnal disability in Parkinson’s disease

    K. R. Chaudhuri;S. Pal;A. DiMarco;C. Whately-Smith

  • The official World Association of Sleep Medicine (WASM) standards for recording and scoring periodic leg movements in sleep (PLMS) and wakefulness (PLMW) developed in collaboration with a task force from the International Restless Legs Syndrome Study Group (IRLSSG)

    Marco Zucconi;Raffaele Ferri;Richard Allen;Paul Christian Baier

  • Narcolepsy is strongly associated with the T-cell receptor alpha locus.

    Joachim Hallmayer;Juliette Faraco;Ling Lin;Stephanie Hesselson

  • Restless legs syndrome: a community-based study of prevalence, severity, and risk factors.

    B. Högl;S. Kiechl;J. Willeit;M. Saletu

  • Decreased striatal dopamine transporter uptake and substantia nigra hyperechogenicity as risk markers of synucleinopathy in patients with idiopathic rapid-eye-movement sleep behaviour disorder: a prospective study

    Alex Iranzo;Francisco Lomeña;Heike Stockner;Francesc Valldeoriola

  • Idiopathic REM sleep behaviour disorder and neurodegeneration - an update.

    Birgit Högl;Ambra Stefani;Aleksandar Videnovic

  • A single-question screen for rapid eye movement sleep behavior disorder: a multicenter validation study.

    Ronald B. Postuma;Isabelle Arnulf;Birgit Hogl;Alex Iranzo

  • Parkinson's disease sleep scale—validation of the revised version PDSS-2

    Claudia Trenkwalder;Ralf Kohnen;Birgit Högl;Vinod Metta

  • Normative EMG values during REM sleep for the diagnosis of REM sleep behavior disorder.

    Birgit Frauscher;Alex Iranzo;Carles Gaig;Viola Gschliesser

  • Clinical manifestations of the anti-IgLON5 disease.

    Carles Gaig;Francesc Graus;Yarko Compta;Birgit Högl

  • Neural network analysis of sleep stages enables efficient diagnosis of narcolepsy

    Jens B. Stephansen;Jens B. Stephansen;Alexander N. Olesen;Alexander N. Olesen;Mads Olsen;Mads Olsen;Aditya Ambati

  • Restless legs syndrome associated with major diseases: A systematic review and new concept

    Claudia Trenkwalder;Richard Allen;Birgit Högl;Walter Paulus

  • Diagnostic standards for dopaminergic augmentation of restless legs syndrome: report from a World Association of Sleep Medicine-International Restless Legs Syndrome Study Group consensus conference at the Max Planck Institute.

    Diego García-Borreguero;Richard P. Allen;Ralf Kohnen;Birgit Högl

  • The long-term treatment of restless legs syndrome/Willis-Ekbom disease: evidence-based guidelines and clinical consensus best practice guidance: a report from the International Restless Legs Syndrome Study Group.

    Diego Garcia-Borreguero;Ralf Kohnen;Michael H. Silber;John W. Winkelman;John W. Winkelman

  • Prevalence of movement disorders in men and women aged 50–89 years (Bruneck Study cohort): a population-based study

    Gregor K Wenning;Stefan Kiechl;Klaus Seppi;Joerg Müller

  • Guidelines for the first-line treatment of restless legs syndrome/Willis-Ekbom disease, prevention and treatment of dopaminergic augmentation: a combined task force of the IRLSSG, EURLSSG, and the RLS-foundation.

    Diego Garcia-Borreguero;Michael H Silber;John W Winkelman;Birgit Högl

  • PTPRD (protein tyrosine phosphatase receptor type delta) is associated with restless legs syndrome.

    Barbara Schormair;David Kemlink;Darina Roeske;Gertrud Eckstein

  • Risk factors for neurodegeneration in idiopathic rapid eye movement sleep behavior disorder: A multicenter study

    Ronald B. Postuma;Alex Iranzo;Birgit Hogl;Isabelle Arnulf

  • Rapid eye movement sleep behavior disorder: Devising controlled active treatment studies for symptomatic and neuroprotective therapy-a consensus statement from the International Rapid Eye Movement Sleep Behavior Disorder Study Group

    C. H. Schenck;J. Y. Montplaisir;B. Frauscher;B. Hogl

  • Modafinil for the treatment of daytime sleepiness in Parkinson's disease: a double-blind, randomized, crossover, placebo-controlled polygraphic trial.

    B Högl;M Saletu;E Brandauer;S Glatzl

Frequent Co-Authors

Birgit Frauscher
Birgit Frauscher Duke University
Werner Poewe
Werner Poewe Innsbruck Medical University
Claudia Trenkwalder
Claudia Trenkwalder University of Göttingen
Yves Dauvilliers
Yves Dauvilliers University of Montpellier
Wolfgang H. Oertel
Wolfgang H. Oertel Philipp University of Marburg
Luigi Ferini-Strambi
Luigi Ferini-Strambi Vita-Salute San Raffaele University
Jacques Montplaisir
Jacques Montplaisir University of Montreal
Juliane Winkelmann
Juliane Winkelmann Technical University of Munich
Isabelle Arnulf
Isabelle Arnulf Sorbonne University
Ronald B. Postuma
Ronald B. Postuma McGill University

If you think any of the details on this page are incorrect, let us know.

Report an issue

We appreciate your kind effort to assist us to improve this page, it would be helpful providing us with as much detail as possible in the text box below:

Related Online Degrees & Career Pathways

Exploring neuroscience pathways opens doors to a range of rewarding careers. While neuroscience remains a rigorous major, some related disciplines feature among the college majors that make the most money, offering strong job prospects and salary potential for STEM graduates.

For flexibility and affordability, many students turn to online learning. There are now numerous cheapest online colleges that accept fafsa in usa, helping reduce education costs and making it easier to access financial aid remotely.

Working professionals or career changers may consider online certification programs that can quickly develop practical, in-demand skills relevant to neuroscience-adjacent fields, such as data analysis, healthcare, or psychology.

If you’re seeking a more gradual academic return, you might investigate online classes for adults to build foundational knowledge at your own pace before committing to a full degree or specialized track.

Whether your goal is research, clinical work, or applied science, tailoring your education path can maximize both your interests and potential earnings in this growing field.

Best Scientists Citing Birgit Högl

Trending Scientists