title: Double-layered models can explain macro and micro structure of human sleep.
abstract: The model simulates the activity of three neural populations using a Lotka-Volterra predator-prey system and, based on neuro-anatomical and neuro-physiological recent findings, assumes that a functional thalamo-cortical gate should be crossed by 'queuing' thalamic signals and that a sleep promoting substance acts as a modulator. The resultant activity accounts for the sleep stage transitions. In accordance with sleep cycles timing, the model proves to be able to reproduce the clustering and randomness of those peculiar transient synchronized EEG patterns (TSEP) described in normal human sleep and supposed to be related to the dynamic building up of NREM sleep until its stabilization against perturbations.
authors.affiliation: Dip di Matematica Giuseppe Peano Università di Torino, via Carlo Alberto 10, 10123 Torino, Italy.
authors.forename: Ilaria
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Stura
authors.forename: Lorenzo
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Priano
authors.forename: Alessandro
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Mauro
authors.forename: Caterina
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Guiot
authors.forename: Ezio
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Venturino
mesh_terms: D001921:Brain / Q000033:anatomy & histology / Q000502:physiology*; D001931:Brain Mapping; D004569:Electroencephalography; D006801:Humans; D016571:Neural Networks, Computer; D009434:Neural Pathways / Q000502:physiology; D012890:Sleep / Q000502:physiology*; D013997:Time Factors; D014851:Wakefulness / Q000502:physiology