Jove
Visualize
Contact Us
JoVE
x logofacebook logolinkedin logoyoutube logo
ABOUT JoVE
OverviewLeadershipBlogJoVE Help Center
AUTHORS
Publishing ProcessEditorial BoardScope & PoliciesPeer ReviewFAQSubmit
LIBRARIANS
TestimonialsSubscriptionsAccessResourcesLibrary Advisory BoardFAQ
RESEARCH
JoVE JournalMethods CollectionsJoVE Encyclopedia of ExperimentsArchive
EDUCATION
JoVE CoreJoVE BusinessJoVE Science EducationJoVE Lab ManualFaculty Resource CenterFaculty Site
Terms & Conditions of Use
Privacy Policy
Policies

Related Concept Videos

REM Sleep Behavior Disorder01:15

REM Sleep Behavior Disorder

REM Sleep Behavior Disorder (RBD) is a sleep disorder characterized by the absence of muscle paralysis that normally occurs during the REM phase of sleep. This absence allows individuals to physically act out their dreams, which are often vivid and disturbing. Common behaviors exhibited during episodes include kicking, punching, and yelling. These actions can be dangerous, potentially leading to injuries for the person with RBD or their bed partner.
RBD is significantly associated with...
Sleep-Wake Cycles01:24

Sleep-Wake Cycles

Sleep is an essential physiological process vital to maintaining overall well-being. The reticular activating system (RAS), a network of neurons in the brainstem, regulates wakefulness and sleep. While it may seem passive, sleep consists of distinct cycles, each with its unique characteristics and functions. Two key sleep phases are non-rapid eye movement (NREM) and  rapid eye movement (REM).
NREM Sleep
NREM sleep comprises four progressive stages that seamlessly merge:
Restless Leg Syndrome and Night Terrors01:27

Restless Leg Syndrome and Night Terrors

Restless Leg Syndrome (RLS), also known as Willis-Ekbom disease, is a neurological disorder characterized by an uncontrollable urge to move the legs due to uncomfortable sensations. These sensations typically occur during periods of rest or inactivity, particularly when lying down or sitting, and can severely disrupt sleep.
The exact cause of RLS is not fully understood, but it is believed to involve dopamine, a neurotransmitter that helps regulate muscle movement. Imbalances in dopamine levels...
Narcolepsy01:07

Narcolepsy

Narcolepsy is a chronic sleep disorder characterized by pervasive, uncontrolled sleepiness and other sleep disturbances. One of its hallmark symptoms is an abrupt transition to REM sleep upon falling asleep, which causes symptoms typically associated with this phase to occur unexpectedly during wakefulness. These include the following symptoms, which typically last from a minute or two to half an hour.
Sleepwalking and Sleep Talking01:17

Sleepwalking and Sleep Talking

Somnambulism, commonly known as sleepwalking, involves individuals engaging in activities ranging from simple walking to more complex behaviors such as driving. Sleepwalking typically occurs during the slow-wave sleep stages 3 and 4 early in the night when the person is not dreaming, contradicting the myth that sleepwalkers are acting out their dreams.
Factors that increase the likelihood of sleepwalking include sleep deprivation and alcohol consumption. Contrary to common beliefs, it is safe...
Stages of Sleep01:22

Stages of Sleep

Sleep progresses through distinct stages, each characterized by specific brain wave patterns and physiological responses ranging from wakefulness to stages of non-rapid eye movement, known as non-REM, to rapid eye movement, referred to as REM. Understanding these stages helps in recognizing how sleep supports various bodily and cognitive functions.
Before sleep begins, in wakefulness, the brain exhibits primarily beta waves, which are high in frequency and low in amplitude, indicating alertness...

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by
Same author

Unveiling the hypoxia-induced mitophagy process through two-channel real-time imaging of NTR and viscosity under the same excitation.

Talanta·2023
Same author

Activating biomass carbon with metallurgical slag by pyrolysis in molten salt for high-performance supercapacitors.

RSC advances·2023
Same author

Assessment on compatibility and safety of labels for pharmaceutical packaging.

Journal of pharmaceutical and biomedical analysis·2023
Same author

Association of Metformin Use with Iron Deficiency Anemia in Urban Chinese Patients with Type 2 Diabetes.

Nutrients·2023
Same author

Identifying Risk Factors for Aspiration in Patients Hospitalized with Community-Acquired Pneumonia.

International journal of clinical practice·2023
Same author

Relative activity of 15 bacterial strains against the larvae of Helicoverpa armigera, Spodoptera exigua, and Spodoptera litura (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae).

Journal of economic entomology·2023
Same journal

Population codes for context-dependent decision-making.

Current opinion in neurobiology·2026
Same journal

Cichlid fish as a model for understanding social dysfunction.

Current opinion in neurobiology·2026
Same journal

On aims and methods in field neuroethology: Investigating neural mechanisms of behavior in semi-natural and natural contexts.

Current opinion in neurobiology·2026
Same journal

Neurobiological interfaces connecting environmental change to monarch butterfly migration.

Current opinion in neurobiology·2026
Same journal

Learning how to experience the world: From circuits to cell types to genes.

Current opinion in neurobiology·2026
Same journal

Editorial overview for neurobiology of disease 2026.

Current opinion in neurobiology·2026
See all related articles

Related Experiment Video

Updated: May 13, 2026

Eye Movement Monitoring of Memory
08:06

Eye Movement Monitoring of Memory

Published on: August 15, 2010

Rapid eye movement sleep behavior disorder.

Michael C Chen1, Huan Yu, Zhi-Li Huang

  • 1Department of Neurology, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02215, USA.

Current Opinion in Neurobiology
|March 23, 2013
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

Rapid eye movement sleep behavior disorder (RBD) involves a loss of motor inhibition during REM sleep. This neurodegenerative condition is often linked to synucleinopathies like Parkinson's disease.

More Related Videos

A Chronic Sleep Fragmentation Model using Vibrating Orbital Rotor to Induce Cognitive Deficit and Anxiety-Like Behavior in Young Wild-Type Mice
06:23

A Chronic Sleep Fragmentation Model using Vibrating Orbital Rotor to Induce Cognitive Deficit and Anxiety-Like Behavior in Young Wild-Type Mice

Published on: September 22, 2020

Characterizing the Relationship Between Eye Movement Parameters and Cognitive Functions in Non-demented Parkinson's Disease Patients with Eye Tracking
07:26

Characterizing the Relationship Between Eye Movement Parameters and Cognitive Functions in Non-demented Parkinson's Disease Patients with Eye Tracking

Published on: September 26, 2019

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: May 13, 2026

Eye Movement Monitoring of Memory
08:06

Eye Movement Monitoring of Memory

Published on: August 15, 2010

A Chronic Sleep Fragmentation Model using Vibrating Orbital Rotor to Induce Cognitive Deficit and Anxiety-Like Behavior in Young Wild-Type Mice
06:23

A Chronic Sleep Fragmentation Model using Vibrating Orbital Rotor to Induce Cognitive Deficit and Anxiety-Like Behavior in Young Wild-Type Mice

Published on: September 22, 2020

Characterizing the Relationship Between Eye Movement Parameters and Cognitive Functions in Non-demented Parkinson's Disease Patients with Eye Tracking
07:26

Characterizing the Relationship Between Eye Movement Parameters and Cognitive Functions in Non-demented Parkinson's Disease Patients with Eye Tracking

Published on: September 26, 2019

Area of Science:

  • Neuroscience
  • Sleep Medicine
  • Neurology

Background:

  • Rapid eye movement (REM) sleep behavior disorder (RBD) is characterized by the loss of normal muscle paralysis during REM sleep.
  • This condition results from the degeneration of neural circuits responsible for motor atonia during REM sleep.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To elucidate the neurobiological underpinnings of REM sleep behavior disorder (RBD).
  • To explore the relationship between RBD and synucleinopathies, particularly Parkinson's disease (PD).

Main Methods:

  • The study focuses on the circuitry involving the sublaterodorsal tegmental nucleus (SLD), ventromedial medulla (VMM), and spinal cord.
  • Analysis of motor command pathways and their disinhibition in RBD.

Main Results:

  • Degeneration in the SLD-VMM-spinal cord circuitry leads to disinhibition of motor commands during REM sleep.
  • RBD behaviors range from simple twitches to complex actions, potentially linked to cortical or brainstem generators.
  • RBD frequently precedes or co-occurs with synucleinopathies like Parkinson's disease, indicating shared pathology.

Conclusions:

  • RBD signifies a failure in REM sleep motor control circuitry, often preceding Parkinson's disease.
  • The progressive nature of RBD pathology suggests a link to dopaminergic degeneration in the midbrain.
  • Understanding RBD offers insights into the complex motor control mechanisms during sleep and wakefulness.