title: REM sleep without atonia after lesions of the medial medulla.
abstract: Rapid eye movement (REM) sleep is normally accompanied by a complete suppression of tone in the antigravity musculature. Pontine lesions have been shown to block this suppression, producing a syndrome of REM sleep without atonia. We now report that glutamate-induced lesions of the medial medulla, including the nucleus magnocellularis, caudal nucleus gigantocellularis and rostral nucleus paramedianus, produce REM sleep without atonia. These nuclei may function as part of a ponto-medullary system suppressing muscle tone in REM sleep.
authors.affiliation: Neurobiology Research, Sepulveda V.A. Medical Center, CA 91343.
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Schenkel
authors.forename: J M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Siegel
mesh_terms: D000109:Acetylcholine; D000818:Animals; D002415:Cats; D005971:Glutamates; D018698:Glutamic Acid; D008526:Medulla Oblongata / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology*; D009129:Muscle Tonus; D012895:Sleep, REM / Q000502:physiology*
chemical_list: D005971:Glutamates; D018698:Glutamic Acid; D000109:Acetylcholine