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. 1989 Mar 27;98(2):159-65.
doi: 10.1016/0304-3940(89)90503-x.

REM sleep without atonia after lesions of the medial medulla

E Schenkel  1 , J M Siegel
Affiliations

REM sleep without atonia after lesions of the medial medulla

E Schenkel et al. Neurosci Lett. .

Abstract

Rapid eye movement (REM) sleep is normally accompanied by a complete suppression of tone in the antigravity musculature. Pontine lesions have been shown to block this suppression, producing a syndrome of REM sleep without atonia. We now report that glutamate-induced lesions of the medial medulla, including the nucleus magnocellularis, caudal nucleus gigantocellularis and rostral nucleus paramedianus, produce REM sleep without atonia. These nuclei may function as part of a ponto-medullary system suppressing muscle tone in REM sleep.

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Figures

Fig. 1.
Fig. 1.
Top – normal REM sleep present prior to glutamate microinjections in cat 157. Bottom – REM sleep without atonia after glutamate induced lesions of the medial medulla (cat 157). EEG, sensorimotor electroencephalogram; EOG, electrooculogram; EMG, electromyogram; LGN, lateral geniculate activity.
Fig. 2.
Fig. 2.
Lesion reconstruction in cats 156, 157 and 160. Damage includes the caudal portions of the medullary nucleus gigantocellularis, nucleus magnocellularis and rostral nucleus paramedianus. Sections are drawn according to the plates of the Berman [3] atlas. 5T, spinal trigeminal tract; 7G, genu of the 7 nerve: 7L, facial n., lateral; 7M, facial n., medial; 12, hypoglossal n.; C, cuneate n.; IO, inferior olive; NGC, n. gigantocellularis; NMC, n. magnocellularis; NPM, n. paramedianus; P, pyramidal tract; PH, n. praepositus hypoglossi; RB, restiform body; VI, inferior vestibular n.; VLD, lateral vestibular n., dorsal; VLV, lateral vestibular n., ventral; VM, medial vestibular n.; SA, stria acustica.
Fig. 3.
Fig. 3.
Top – photomicrograph showing lesioned areas in cat 157. Bottom – magnification of the area indicated on top section.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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