Related Experiment Video
Updated: Aug 14, 2026

In Vivo Evaluation of the Mechanical and Viscoelastic Properties of the Rat Tongue
Published on: July 6, 2017
Changes in reflex responses of the genioglossus muscle during sleep in rabbits
Yohji Harasawa1, Makoto Inoue, Sajjiv Ariyasinghe
1Division of Oral Physiology, Niigata University Graduate School of Medical and Dental Sciences, 951-8514, Japan.
Abstract:
Changes in reflex responses in the genioglossus (GG) muscle evoked by electrical stimulation of the inferior alveolar nerve and GG muscle tone (background activity, BGA) were investigated during sleep-wakefulness stages in rabbits. The GG muscle showed two types of electromyographic activity patterns: a respiration-related phasic activity and non-respiration-related activity. GG reflex responses and BGA exhibited a stage-dependent decrease as they were constantly suppressed from quiet wakefulness to non-rapid eye movement sleep to rapid eye movement sleep (REMS). Degree of suppression of reflexes was much larger than that of BGA regardless of GG activity patterns. When amplitude of reflex responses was compared between with and without rapid eye movements during REMS, no difference between the conditions was noted. These results suggest that excitability of the GG muscle is affected by sleep stages by not only a modulation of excitability in motoneurons but also in interneurons involved in the reflex arc.
More Related Videos
Related Concept Videos
Reflex Activity
A reflex exam is a diagnostic procedure performed by a healthcare professional to evaluate the functionality of a patient's...
Sleep-Wake Cycles
NREM Sleep
NREM sleep comprises four progressive stages that seamlessly merge:
REM Sleep Behavior Disorder
RBD is significantly associated with...

