In accordance with the prominent role of orexins in the maintenance of wakefulness via activation of orexin-1 (OX1R) and orexin-2 (OX2R) receptors, various dual OX1/2R antagonists have been shown to promote sleep in animals and humans. While selective blockade of OX2R seems to be sufficient to initiate and prolong sleep, the beneficial effect of additional inhibition of OX1R remains controversi...

BACKGROUND The mechanisms contributing to worsening of obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) during rapid eye movement (REM) sleep have been minimally studied. Reduced upper-airway muscle tone may be an important contributor. Because respiratory events and the associated blood gas changes can influence genioglossus (GG) activity, we compared GG activity between OSA patients and control subjects during ...

This study was performed to test the hypothesis that cholinoceptive basal forebrain systems can significantly influence cholinoceptive pontine mechanisms known to be important for generating rapid eye movement (REM) sleep. This hypothesis was examined by microinjecting the cholinergic agonist carbachol or saline (vehicle control) into the pons, the basal forebrain, or simultaneously into the po...

We present evidence disputing the hypothesis that memories are processed or consolidated in REM sleep. A review of REM deprivation (REMD) studies in animals shows these reports to be about equally divided in showing that REMD does, or does not, disrupt learning/memory. The studies supporting a relationship between REM sleep and memory have been strongly criticized for the confounding effects of...

Abnormal arousal processes, sympathetic influences, as well as wake-like alpha activity during sleep were reported as pathophysiological features of Nightmare Disorder. We hypothesized that in Nightmare Disorder, wake-like cortical activity and peripheral measures linked to arousals would be triggered by physiological processes related to the initiation of REM periods. Therefore, we examined el...

CPs (p < 0. IO). Although the SPs spent less time in REM sleep (p<O.O5), further REM sleep parameters, including REM latency and REM density, were not altered. In conclusion, our findings in drug-naive patients with a first episode of a schizophrenic disorder are in favour of an arousal linked disturbance at the beginning of the night sleep resulting in a delayed sleep onset and a disturbed bui...

To test the hypothesis that rapid eye movement (REM) sleep in schizophrenic patients is associated with cognitive function, we studied 18 schizophrenic inpatients by means of electroencephalograms taken during sleep in their own hospital beds after a minimum 2-wk medication withdrawal period. Patients underwent neuropsychological tests to mea. sure memory function and other aspects of cognitive...

Rapid eye movement (REM) sleep - characterized by vivid dreaming, motor paralysis, and heightened neural activity - is one of the fundamental states of the mammalian central nervous system. Initial theories of REM sleep generation posited that induction of the state required activation of the "pontine REM sleep generator" by cholinergic inputs. Here, we review and evaluate the evidence surround...

Van Dort et al. (1) used optogenetic activation to demonstrate the capacity of cholinergic neurons in the laterodorsal and pedunculopontine tegmental nuclei (LDT and PPT, respectively) to induce rapid eye movement (REM) sleep. The authors submit that their data clarify the role of LDT/PPT cholinergic neurons in REM sleep initiation, demonstrating that these neurons are “important modulators of ...