REM sleep at its core—Circuits, neurotransmitters and pathophysiology
REM sleep is generated and maintained by the interaction of a variety of neurotransmitter systems in the brainstem, forebrain and hypothalamus. Within these circuits lies a core region that is active during REM sleep, known as the subcoeruleus nucleus (SubC) or sublaterodorsal nucleus. It is hypothe...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Frontiers Media S.A.
2015-05-01
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| Series: | Frontiers in Neurology |
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| Online Access: | http://journal.frontiersin.org/Journal/10.3389/fneur.2015.00123/full |
| _version_ | 1818929204578746368 |
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| author | John ePeever |
| author_facet | John ePeever |
| author_sort | John ePeever |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | REM sleep is generated and maintained by the interaction of a variety of neurotransmitter systems in the brainstem, forebrain and hypothalamus. Within these circuits lies a core region that is active during REM sleep, known as the subcoeruleus nucleus (SubC) or sublaterodorsal nucleus. It is hypothesized that glutamatergic SubC neurons regulate REM sleep and its defining features such as muscle paralysis and cortical activation. REM sleep paralysis is initiated when glutamatergic SubC activate neurons in the ventral medial medulla (VMM), which causes release of GABA and glycine onto skeletal motoneurons. REM sleep timing is controlled by activity of GABAergic neurons in the ventrolateral periaqueductal gray (vlPAG) and dorsal paragigantocellular reticular nucleus (DPGi) as well as melanin-concentrating hormone (MCH) neurons in the hypothalamus and cholinergic cells in the laterodorsal (LDT) and pedunculo-pontine tegmentum (PPT) in the brainstem. Determining how these circuits interact with the SubC is important because breakdown in their communication is hypothesized to underlie cataplexy/narcolepsy and REM sleep behaviour disorder (RBD). This review synthesizes our current understanding of mechanisms generating healthy REM sleep and how dysfunction of these circuits contributes to common REM sleep disorders such as cataplexy/narcolepsy and RBD. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-20T03:41:05Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-16be192d813248bf9344c4f5082f0d1f |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1664-2295 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-20T03:41:05Z |
| publishDate | 2015-05-01 |
| publisher | Frontiers Media S.A. |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Frontiers in Neurology |
| spelling | doaj.art-16be192d813248bf9344c4f5082f0d1f2022-12-21T19:54:44ZengFrontiers Media S.A.Frontiers in Neurology1664-22952015-05-01610.3389/fneur.2015.00123145943REM sleep at its core—Circuits, neurotransmitters and pathophysiologyJohn ePeever0University of Toronto, TorontoREM sleep is generated and maintained by the interaction of a variety of neurotransmitter systems in the brainstem, forebrain and hypothalamus. Within these circuits lies a core region that is active during REM sleep, known as the subcoeruleus nucleus (SubC) or sublaterodorsal nucleus. It is hypothesized that glutamatergic SubC neurons regulate REM sleep and its defining features such as muscle paralysis and cortical activation. REM sleep paralysis is initiated when glutamatergic SubC activate neurons in the ventral medial medulla (VMM), which causes release of GABA and glycine onto skeletal motoneurons. REM sleep timing is controlled by activity of GABAergic neurons in the ventrolateral periaqueductal gray (vlPAG) and dorsal paragigantocellular reticular nucleus (DPGi) as well as melanin-concentrating hormone (MCH) neurons in the hypothalamus and cholinergic cells in the laterodorsal (LDT) and pedunculo-pontine tegmentum (PPT) in the brainstem. Determining how these circuits interact with the SubC is important because breakdown in their communication is hypothesized to underlie cataplexy/narcolepsy and REM sleep behaviour disorder (RBD). This review synthesizes our current understanding of mechanisms generating healthy REM sleep and how dysfunction of these circuits contributes to common REM sleep disorders such as cataplexy/narcolepsy and RBD.http://journal.frontiersin.org/Journal/10.3389/fneur.2015.00123/fullAmygdalaCataplexyDopamineHypothalamusNarcolepsyREM Sleep Behavior Disorder |
| spellingShingle | John ePeever REM sleep at its core—Circuits, neurotransmitters and pathophysiology Frontiers in Neurology Amygdala Cataplexy Dopamine Hypothalamus Narcolepsy REM Sleep Behavior Disorder |
| title | REM sleep at its core—Circuits, neurotransmitters and pathophysiology |
| title_full | REM sleep at its core—Circuits, neurotransmitters and pathophysiology |
| title_fullStr | REM sleep at its core—Circuits, neurotransmitters and pathophysiology |
| title_full_unstemmed | REM sleep at its core—Circuits, neurotransmitters and pathophysiology |
| title_short | REM sleep at its core—Circuits, neurotransmitters and pathophysiology |
| title_sort | rem sleep at its core circuits neurotransmitters and pathophysiology |
| topic | Amygdala Cataplexy Dopamine Hypothalamus Narcolepsy REM Sleep Behavior Disorder |
| url | http://journal.frontiersin.org/Journal/10.3389/fneur.2015.00123/full |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT johnepeever remsleepatitscorecircuitsneurotransmittersandpathophysiology |