Role of serotonin in sleep mechanisms.
Since near the time of its discovery over 40 years ago, the serotonergic system has been implicated in the regulation of the sleep-wake cycle. While early studies indicate that serotonin (5-HT) was associated with the initiation and maintenance of sleep, later studies indicate that serotonergic neurons also play a role in inhibiting sleep. As reviewed in this paper, the complex effects of 5-HT in the regulation of sleep is due in part to the fact that 5-HT can act at different areas of the brain that have been associated with the control of sleep and wake. In addition, the recent discovery of multiple 5-HT receptors through the mammalian brain led to the finding that different 5-HT receptors are selectively involved in the regulation of the different sleep states.
Dugovic
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Center for Sleep and Circadian Biology, Northwestern University, 2153 N. Campus Drive, Evanston, IL 60208, USA. cdugovic@northwestern.edu
D000818:Animals; D001921:Brain / Q000502:physiology*; D002940:Circadian Rhythm / Q000502:physiology*; D006801:Humans; D007031:Hypothalamus / Q000502:physiology; D011985:Receptors, Serotonin / Q000502:physiology; D012701:Serotonin / Q000502:physiology*; D012894:Sleep Stages / Q000502:physiology*; D014851:Wakefulness / Q000502:physiology
D011985:Receptors, Serotonin; D012701:Serotonin