title: Activation of the motor cortex during phasic rapid eye movement sleep.
abstract: When dreaming during rapid eye movement (REM) sleep, we can perform complex motor behaviors while remaining motionless. How the motor cortex behaves during this state remains unknown. Here, using intracerebral electrodes sampling the human motor cortex in pharmacoresistant epileptic patients, we report a pattern of electroencephalographic activation during REM sleep similar to that observed during the performance of a voluntary movement during wakefulness. This pattern is present during phasic REM sleep but not during tonic REM sleep, the latter resembling relaxed wakefulness. This finding may help clarify certain phenomenological aspects observed in REM sleep behavior disorder.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Bioimaging and Molecular Physiology, Genoa Section, National Research Council, Genoa.
authors.forename: Fabrizio
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: De Carli
authors.affiliation: C. Munari Center of Epilepsy Surgery, Niguarda Hospital, Milan.
authors.forename: Paola
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Proserpio
authors.affiliation: Clinical Neurophysiology Service, University of Genoa, Genoa.
authors.forename: Elisa
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Morrone
authors.affiliation: C. Munari Center of Epilepsy Surgery, Niguarda Hospital, Milan.
authors.forename: Ivana
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Sartori
authors.affiliation: Department of Life, Health, and Environmental Sciences, University of L'Aquila, L'Aquila.
authors.forename: Michele
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ferrara
authors.affiliation: C. Munari Center of Epilepsy Surgery, Niguarda Hospital, Milan.
authors.forename: Steve Alex
authors.initials: SA
authors.lastname: Gibbs
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy.
authors.forename: Luigi
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: De Gennaro
authors.affiliation: C. Munari Center of Epilepsy Surgery, Niguarda Hospital, Milan.
authors.forename: Giorgio
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Lo Russo
authors.affiliation: Institute of Bioimaging and Molecular Physiology, Genoa Section, National Research Council, Genoa.|C. Munari Center of Epilepsy Surgery, Niguarda Hospital, Milan.
authors.forename: Lino
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Nobili
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000069280:Electrocorticography / Q000379:methods*; D004827:Epilepsy / Q000601:surgery; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009044:Motor Cortex / Q000502:physiology*; D011300:Preoperative Care; D012895:Sleep, REM / Q000502:physiology*; D055815:Young Adult