REM Sleep Behavior Disorder Essay -- Neurology Sleeping Papers

Our sense of the complexity of quietness expanded in 1953 with the discovery of rapid-eye-movement (rapid eye movement) resi payable by Aserinsky and Kleitman. Sleep was no longer considered a homogenous state, but sort of a dynamic process of cycling between two evident states, non- paradoxical sleep and REM sleep. Under normal circumstances the boundaries between non-REM, REM and alerting are well declared. Dissociative sleep unhealthinesss involve a equipment failure of these boundaries (Mahowald and Schenck 1992), and provide a unique window on the neurophysiological mechanisms trusty for each state. Narcolepsy, a disorder of the boundary between wakefulness and REM sleep, is probably the most studied disorder of this nature. The following is a round of another recently described REM sleep boundary disorder called REM sleep behavior disorder (RBD). RBD is characterized by the acting-out of violent dreams during REM sleep, often with injurious consequences (Schenck et al . 1986, 1987). As with narcolepsy, RBD involves a dissociation of REM sleep phenomena and their underlying mechanisms, therefore providing yet another opportunity to broaden our taste of the complexity of sleep. A brief discussion of REM sleep phenomenology is necessary before proceeding. REM sleep is characterized by specific phenomena that distinguish it from non-REM sleep and wakefulness (Siegel 1994). These phenomena are grouped according to whether their occurrence is tonic (occurring passim REM) or phasic (occurring intermittently during REM). Tonic phenomena include, low-voltage desynchronized electroencephalogram ( electroencephalogram), hippocampal theta rhythm, electromyographic (EMG) atonia, olfactory electric-light bulb activity, high arousal threshold, elevated brain temperature, poikilothermia, and penile ... ...REM sleep components in cats integrity of the pedunculopontine tegmentum (PPT) is important for phasic events but unnecessary for atonia during REM sleep. mavin Res., 571 50-63. Siegel, J. M. 1994. Brainstem mechanisms generating REM sleep. In Kryger, M. H., Roth, T. and Dement, W. C. eds. Principles and practice of sleep medicine. 2nd ed. Philadelphia WB Saunders, pp. 125-144. Sugano, T., Suenaga, K., Endo, S., et al. 1980. Withdrawal delirium in a patient with nitrazepam addictio. Jpn. J EEG EMG, 8 34-35. Tachibana, M., Tanaka, K., Hishikawa, Y. and Kaneko, Z. 1975. A sleep study of acute psychotic states due to alcohol and meprobamate addiction. Advances in Sleep Research, 2177-205. Wright, B. A., Rosen, J. R., Buysse, D. J. et al. 1990. Shy-Drager syndrome presenting as a REM behavioral disorder. J. Geriatric Psychiat. Neurol., 3110-113.