title: The paradoxical sleep-cerebral maturation relationship.
abstract: Cerebral maturation (CM) is a complex genetically determined process which consists of four stages (neuritogenesis, synaptogenesis, elimination of the abnormal synapses and myelinization), all modulated or fine-tuned by endo- or exogenous factors, among which the paradoxical sleep (PS) is the most important. In the present review it is stated by direct and indirect evidence that PS is the only state of vigilance compatible with such a modulation of the CM. Many results from literature as well as our data give strong support in demonstrating that PS is involved in all four stages of the CM. In the light of the two hypotheses concerning the role of the PS in CM (the ontogenetic and the specific behaviour one), the results and data presented here support the idea that these are not reciprocally exclusive and suggest some real biochemical mechanisms by which PS could achieve its maturational role.
authors.affiliation: C. I. Parhon Institute of Endocrinology, Bucharest, Romania.
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Goldstein
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001921:Brain / Q000187:drug effects / Q000254:growth & development*; D004569:Electroencephalography; D004594:Electrophysiology; D006801:Humans; D009186:Myelin Sheath / Q000502:physiology; D009474:Neurons / Q000502:physiology; D012895:Sleep, REM / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology*; D013569:Synapses / Q000502:physiology