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Paradoxical sleep and its chemical/structural substrates in the brain
1Department of Neurology and Neurosurgery, McGill University, Montreal Neurological Institute, Quebec, Canada.
Neuroscience
|January 1, 1991
Summary
Cholinergic neurons in the brainstem are crucial for generating paradoxical sleep (REM sleep), characterized by brain activation and muscle paralysis. Their destruction significantly diminishes this sleep state, highlighting their essential role.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Sleep Science
- Neurobiology
Background:
- Paradoxical sleep, also known as rapid eye movement (REM) sleep, is a distinct state of mammalian and avian sleep.
- It is characterized by brain activation, rapid eye movements, and muscle atonia.
- Early research localized the generation of this state to the brainstem, specifically the pons.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the role of cholinergic neurotransmission in the generation of paradoxical sleep.
- To assess the necessity of pontomesencephalic cholinergic neurons for REM sleep and its associated phenomena.
Main Methods:
- Local injections of cholinergic agonists into the pontine tegmentum.
- Immunohistochemical identification of choline acetyltransferase-containing neurons.
- Neurotoxic lesions of dorsolateral ponto-mesencephalic tegmental cholinergic cell groups in cats.
- Correlation of neuronal loss with deficits in paradoxical sleep and associated markers.
Main Results:
- Cholinergic agonists induced REM sleep-like states, including ponto-geniculo-occipital spikes and muscle atonia.
- Destruction of pontomesencephalic cholinergic neurons led to a significant reduction or loss of paradoxical sleep.
- Deficits in REM sleep and muscle atonia were directly correlated with the loss of choline acetyltransferase-immunoreactive neurons.
Conclusions:
- Pontomesencephalic cholinergic neurons play a critical, active role in generating paradoxical sleep and its components.
- These neurons innervate the brainstem reticular formation and project to the thalamus, influencing cortical activation.
- The generation of paradoxical sleep may depend on the coordinated activity of cholinergic neurons and the relative inactivity of noradrenaline and serotonin neurons.
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