Rapid eyes movement

Rapid eye movement sleep. Sleep stage characterized by rapid movements of the eyes and asynchronous EEG activity in the theta-frequency (5-10Hz) range. Counterpart is slow wave sleep, characterized by other electrophysiological (synchronized low frequency l-2Hz, large amplitude EEG and neuronal sharp wave-ripple oscillations) and endocrine (growth hormone surge) activities. 

Sleep is generally considered to consist of two substates, Rapid Eye Movement (REM) and non-Rapid Eye Movement (NREM) sleep, which alternate to form a cycle lasting 90 min in man (Fig. 1). REM and... 

As we relax in preparation for and pass into sleep, the active desynchronised awake EEG characterised by the low-amplitude (5-10 pV) high-frequency (10-30 Hz) beta waves becomes progressively more synchronised giving larger (20-30 pV) and slower (8-12 Hz) alpha waves, and then even slower (1-4 Hz) and bigger (30-150 pV) delta waves. This so-called slow-wave sleep is interrupted at intervals of some 1-2h by the break-up and desynchronisation of the EEG into an awake-like pattern. Since this is accompanied by rapid eye movements, even though sleep persists and can be deeper, the phase is known as rapid eye movement, REM or paradoxical, sleep. It is a time when dreaming occurs and when memory may be secured. 

Figure 22.4 Idealised EEG-like patterns in sleep and waking. When we are awake and aroused the EEG is desynchronised (a). As we become drowsy and pass into sleep the EEG waves become more synchronised with 8-12 Hz alpha waves (b), sleep spindles then appear (c) before the EEG becomes even more synchronised with slow (about 1-2 Hz) high-voltage waves characteristic of deep slow-wave sleep (SWS). About every 90 min this pattern is disrupted and the EEG becomes more like that in arousal (d) except that the subject remains asleep. This phase of sleep is also characterised by rolling, rapid eye movements, the so-called REM sleep. SWS is consequently also known as non-REM sleep. These tracings have been drawn to show the main features of the different EEG phases of sleep and as such are much simpler than those that are actually recorded...

S = Sleep disturbances (insomnia, rapid eye movement sleep behavioral disorder, restless legs syndrome)... 

NREM non-rapid eye movement ting. J Clin Psychiatry 1992 53(suppll2) 50—56. 

PET Positron-emission tomography REM Rapid eye movement recent event memory... 

Non-REM sleep A state of usually dreamless sleep that occurs regularly during a normal period of sleep with intervening periods of rapid eye movement (REM) sleep and that consists of four distinct substages and low levels of autonomic physiologic activity. 

Parasomnia Undesirable physical or behavioral phenomena that occur predominantly during sleep (e.g., sleep walking, brux-ism, enuresis, sleep talking, and rapid eye movement behavior disorder). 

Rapid eye movement (REM) sleep A state of sleep that recurs cyclically several times during a normal period of sleep and is characterized by increased neuronal activity of the forebrain and midbrain, by depressed muscle tone, and especially in humans by dreaming, rapid eye movements, and vascular congestion of the sex organs. 

Alam, Md. N., McGinty, D., Szymusiak, R. (1997). Thermosensitive neurons of the diagonal band in rats relation to wakefulness and non-rapid eye movement sleep. Brain Res. 752, 81-9. 

Baker, F. C., Shah, S., Stewart, D. et al. (2005b). Interleukin 10 enhances non-rapid eye movement sleep and increases c-Fos expression in the median preoptic nucleus of the hypothalamus. Am. J. Physiol. Regul Integr. Comp. Physiol. 288, R998-1005. 

Gvilia, I., Turner, A., McGinty, D Szymusiak, R. (2006). Preoptic area neurons and the homeostatic regulation of rapid eye movement sleep. J. Neurosci. 26, 3037-44. 

Obal Jr., F. Krueger, J. M. (2003). Biochemical regulation of non-rapid-eye-movement sleep. Frontiers Biosci. 8, 520-50. 

Figure 2.1 Schematic of the rat brain (sagittal section) showing the approximate location of important brain structures controlling wakefulness and REM sleep. Abbreviations AH, anterior hypothalamus BF, basal forebrain DL pons, dorsolateral pons (rapid eye movement sleep control area) M-RA, Magoun/Rhines inhibitory area in the ventral medulla PH, posterior hypothalamus.

Baghdoyan, H. A. Lydic, R. (1999). M2 muscarinic receptor subtype in the feline medial pontine reticular formation modulates the amount of rapid eye movement sleep. Sleep 22, 835-47. 

Horner, R. L., Sanford, L. D., Annis, D., Pack, A. I. Morrison, A. R. (1997). Serotonin at the laterodorsal tegmental nucleus suppresses rapid-eye-movement sleep in freely behaving rats. J. Neurosci. 17, 7541-52. 

Portas, C. M., Thakkar, M., Rainnie, D. McCarley, R. W. (1996). Microdialysis perfusion of 8-hydroxy-2-(di-n-propylamino)tetrahn (8-OH-DPAT) in the dorsal raphe nucleus decreases serotonin release and increases rapid eye movement sleep in the freely moving cat. J. Neurosci. 16, 2820-8. 

Rapid eye movement sleep regulation by modulation of the noradrenergic system... 

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