title: The Neurobiology of Sleep and Wakefulness.
abstract: Cortical electroencephalographic activity arises from corticothalamocortical interactions, modulated by wake-promoting monoaminergic and cholinergic input. These wake-promoting systems are regulated by hypothalamic hypocretin/orexins, while GABAergic sleep-promoting nuclei are found in the preoptic area, brainstem and lateral hypothalamus. Although pontine acetylcholine is critical for REM sleep, hypothalamic melanin-concentrating hormone/GABAergic cells may "gate" REM sleep. Daily sleep-wake rhythms arise from interactions between a hypothalamic circadian pacemaker and a sleep homeostat whose anatomical locus has yet to be conclusively defined. Control of sleep and wakefulness involves multiple systems, each of which presents vulnerability to sleep/wake dysfunction that may predispose to physical and/or neuropsychiatric disorders.
authors.affiliation: Biosciences Division, Center for Neuroscience, SRI International, 333 Ravenswood Avenue, Menlo Park, CA 94025, USA.
authors.forename: Michael D
authors.initials: MD
authors.lastname: Schwartz
authors.affiliation: Biosciences Division, Center for Neuroscience, SRI International, 333 Ravenswood Avenue, Menlo Park, CA 94025, USA. Electronic address: thomas.kilduff@sri.com.
authors.forename: Thomas S
authors.initials: TS
authors.lastname: Kilduff
mesh_terms: D015306:Biogenic Monoamines / Q000502:physiology; D001921:Brain / Q000502:physiology*; D059329:Cholinergic Neurons / Q000502:physiology; D057906:Circadian Clocks / Q000502:physiology; D059330:GABAergic Neurons / Q000502:physiology; D006801:Humans; D007028:Hypothalamic Hormones / Q000502:physiology; D008543:Melanins / Q000502:physiology; D009434:Neural Pathways / Q000502:physiology*; D000068797:Orexins / Q000502:physiology; D010907:Pituitary Hormones / Q000502:physiology; D012890:Sleep / Q000502:physiology*; D014851:Wakefulness / Q000502:physiology*
chemical_list: D015306:Biogenic Monoamines; D007028:Hypothalamic Hormones; D008543:Melanins; D000068797:Orexins; D010907:Pituitary Hormones; C019463:melanin-concentrating hormone
keywords: EEG; Homeostasis; Hypocretin; NREM sleep; Neurotransmitter; REM sleep; Slow wave activity; Synchronization