We are grateful to Drs. Scarlata and Antonelli-Incalzi (1) for their interest in our recent publication in Diabetes Care (2). We respectfully have to disagree with their statement that our study focused on “how rapid eye movement (REM) sleep deprivation due to obstructive sleep apnea [OSA] affects glycemic control in type 2 diabetes.” Indeed, our study was a cross-sectional analysis and did not...

OBJECTIVE Sleep disturbances are prevalent in human tauopathies yet despite the importance of sleep, little is known about its relationship with tau pathology. Here, we investigate this interaction by analyzing sleep and tau pathology throughout tauopathy disease progression in P301S human tau transgenic mice. METHODS P301S and wild-type mice were analyzed by electroencephalography (EEG)/elec...

Research findings confirm our own experiences in life where daytime events and especially emotionally stressful events have an impact on sleep quality and well-being. Obviously, daytime emotional stress may have a differentiated effect on sleep by influencing sleep physiology and dream patterns, dream content and the emotion within a dream, although its exact role is still unclear. Other effect...

The histamine-containing posterior hypothalamic region (PH-TMN) plays a key role in sleep-wake regulation. We investigated rapid changes in glutamate release in the PH-TMN across the sleep-wake cycle with a glutamate biosensor that allows the measurement of glutamate levels at 1- to 4-s resolution. In the PH-TMN, glutamate levels increased in active waking (AW) and rapid eye movement (REM) slee...

Facial expressions represent one of the most salient cues in our environment. They communicate the affective state and intent of an individual and, if interpreted correctly, adaptively influence the behavior of others in return. Processing of such affective stimuli is known to require reciprocal signaling between central viscerosensory brain regions and peripheral-autonomic body systems, culmin...

The discovery of the close association between rapid eye movement (REM) sleep and dreaming and development of sleep laboratory techniques ushered in a new era in the study of dreams. For the first time, direct and systematic investigation could be made of such topics as the occurrence, qualities, recollection, and childhood development of dreaming. Experimental methodologies permitted investiga...

One of the most important functions of REM sleep and dreaming is mood-regulation. Clinical observations suggest the putative role of REM sleep in relation to the problem-solving functions of REM sleep (1). REM sleep and dream content are profoundly altered in affective disorders, thus an analysis of the relationship between mood, REM sleep, and dreaming may play a role in our understanding of u...

The neuropeptide orexin (also known as hypocretin) is hypothesized to play a critical role in the regulation of sleep-wake behavior. Lack of orexin produces narcolepsy, which is characterized by poor maintenance of wakefulness and intrusions of rapid eye movement (REM) sleep or REM sleep-like phenomena into wakefulness. Orexin neurons heavily innervate many aminergic nuclei that promote wakeful...

Sleep and rest can be satisfactorily explained as adaptive states1,2 whose core function is energy conservation and behavioral regulation. In addition to these functions, certain recuperative processes may be accomplished within sleep. However, the adaptive role of rapid eye movement (REM) sleep remains a complete mystery. The high levels of brain metabolic demand and attenuation of homeostatic...