REM Sleep Behavior Disorder Essay -- Neurology Sleeping Papers

Our awareness of the complexity of calmness expanded in 1953 with the discovery of rapid-eye-movement (REM) sleep by Aserinsky and Kleitman. Sleep was no longer considered a homogenous state, but rather a dynamic process of cycling between two different states, non-REM and REM sleep. Under normal circumstances the boundaries between non-REM, REM and wakefulness are well declared. Dissociative sleep disorders involve a breakdown of these boundaries (Mahowald and Schenck 1992), and will a unique window on the neurophysiological mechanisms responsible for each state. Narcolepsy, a disorder of the boundary between wakefulness and REM sleep, is probably the well-nigh studied disorder of this nature. The following is a review of other recently described REM sleep boundary disorder called REM sleep style 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 invol ves a dissociation of REM sleep phenomena and their underlying mechanisms, therefore providing yet another opportunity to broaden our understanding of the complexity of sleep. A brief discussion of REM sleep phenomenology is required before proceeding. REM sleep is characterized by particularised phenomena that distinguish it from non-REM sleep and wakefulness (Siegel 1994). These phenomena are grouped according to whether their occurrence is tonic (occurring throughout REM) or phasic (occurring intermittently during REM). Tonic phenomena include, low-voltage desynchronized electroencephalogram (EEG), hippocampal theta rhythm, electromyographic (EMG) atonia, olfactory 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. promontory Res., 571 50-63. Siegel, J. M. 1994. Brainstem mec hanisms 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.