A medullary hub for controlling REM sleep and pontine waves

Amanda L. Schott, Justin Baik, Shinjae Chung and Franz Weber ()
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Amanda L. Schott: University of Pennsylvania
Justin Baik: University of Pennsylvania
Shinjae Chung: University of Pennsylvania
Franz Weber: University of Pennsylvania

Nature Communications, 2023, vol. 14, issue 1, 1-17

Abstract: Abstract Rapid-eye-movement (REM) sleep is a distinct behavioral state associated with vivid dreaming and memory processing. Phasic bursts of electrical activity, measurable as spike-like pontine (P)-waves, are a hallmark of REM sleep implicated in memory consolidation. However, the brainstem circuits regulating P-waves, and their interactions with circuits generating REM sleep, remain largely unknown. Here, we show that an excitatory population of dorsomedial medulla (dmM) neurons expressing corticotropin-releasing-hormone (CRH) regulates both REM sleep and P-waves in mice. Calcium imaging showed that dmM CRH neurons are selectively activated during REM sleep and recruited during P-waves, and opto- and chemogenetic experiments revealed that this population promotes REM sleep. Chemogenetic manipulation also induced prolonged changes in P-wave frequency, while brief optogenetic activation reliably triggered P-waves along with transiently accelerated theta oscillations in the electroencephalogram (EEG). Together, these findings anatomically and functionally delineate a common medullary hub for the regulation of both REM sleep and P-waves.

Date: 2023
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DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-39496-0

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