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[Respiratory muscle activity in newborn children during sleep and wakefulness]
Insights
During sleep, electrical activity in respiratory muscles changes. Inspiratory and tonic activity decrease, with tonic activity inhibited during paradoxical sleep, affecting breathing patterns.
Area of Science:
- Neurophysiology
- Respiratory Physiology
- Sleep Science
Context:
- Investigating the neural control of breathing during different sleep stages.
- Examining electrical activity in the external intercostal muscles and diaphragm.
Purpose:
- To characterize changes in inspiratory and tonic electrical activity during wakefulness and sleep.
- To understand the impact of sleep transitions on respiratory muscle activation.
Summary:
- Both inspiratory and tonic (postural) electrical activity in respiratory muscles decrease during orthodoxical sleep compared to quiet wakefulness.
- During the transition from orthodoxical to paradoxical sleep, tonic activity is fully inhibited, while inspiratory activity remains stable in intercostal muscles but increases in the diaphragm.
- Inspiratory activity in intercostal muscles is reduced during rapid eye movement (REM) sleep, leading to decreased muscle tone and asynchronous thoracic and abdominal movements.
Impact:
- Provides insights into the neural mechanisms governing breathing during sleep.
- Explains the observed changes in respiratory movements and asynchrony during paradoxical sleep.
- Contributes to understanding the neurophysiological basis of respiratory control across sleep states.
Abstract:
Two types of electrical activity - inspiratory and tonic (postural) ones - have been registered in the external intercostal muscles and diaphragm. Both types of the activity decrease during orthodoxical sleep as compared with the period of quiet awakefulness. During the transition of orthodoxical sleep into paradoxical one, tonic activity is completely inhibited, while inspiratory activity in the intercostal muscles remains unchanged, being increased in the diaphragm. In the period of rapid eye movements inspiratory activity of the intercostal muscles is reduced. The decreased tone of the intercostal muscles accounts for changes in respiratory movements and for the onset of asynchoronous thoracic and abdominal respiratory movements during paradoxical sleep.