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...

Crump, Shawn M., Robert N. Correll, Elizabeth A. Schroder, William C. Lester, Brian S. Finlin, Douglas A. Andres, and Jonathan Satin. L-type calcium channel -subunit and protein kinase inhibitors modulate Rem-mediated regulation of current. Am J Physiol Heart Circ Physiol 291: H1959–H1971, 2006. First published April 28, 2006; doi:10.1152/ajpheart.00956.2005.—Cardiac voltage-gated L-type Ca cha...

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 ...

RATIONALE Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is associated with hypertension. OBJECTIVES We aimed to quantify the independent association of OSA during REM sleep with prevalent and incident hypertension. METHODS We included adults enrolled in the longitudinal community-based Wisconsin Sleep Cohort Study with at least 30 minutes of REM sleep obtained from overnight in-laboratory polysomnography. ...

A hallmark of rapid eye movement (REM) sleep is a potent suppression of postural muscle tone. Motor control in REM sleep is unique because it is characterized by flurries of intermittent muscle twitches that punctuate muscle atonia. Because somatic motoneurons are bombarded by strychnine-sensitive IPSPs during REM sleep, it is assumed that glycinergic inhibition underlies REM atonia. However, i...