Hypothalamic Regulation of Sleep and Arousal

Normal waking is associated with neuronal activity in several chemically defined ascending arousal systems. These include monoaminergic neurons in the brainstem and posterior hypothalamus, cholinergic neurons in the brainstem and basal forebrain, and hypocretin (orexin) neurons in the lateral hypoth...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences 2008-05, Vol.1129 (1), p.275-286
Main Authors: Szymusiak, Ronald, McGinty, Dennis
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
adenosine
Animals
Arousal - physiology
GABA
Homeostasis - physiology
Humans
hypocretin
Hypothalamus - physiology
median preoptic nucleus
monoamines
Neurons - physiology
Preoptic Area - physiology
Sleep - physiology
sleep homeostasis
ventrolateral preoptic area
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Summary:Normal waking is associated with neuronal activity in several chemically defined ascending arousal systems. These include monoaminergic neurons in the brainstem and posterior hypothalamus, cholinergic neurons in the brainstem and basal forebrain, and hypocretin (orexin) neurons in the lateral hypothalamus. Collectively, these systems impart tonic activation to their neuronal targets in the diencephalon and neocortex that is reflected in the low‐voltage fast‐frequency electroencephalogram patterns of wakefulness. Neuronal discharge in these arousal systems declines rapidly at sleep onset. Transitions from waking to sleep, therefore, involve coordinated inhibition of multiple arousal systems. An important source of sleep‐related inhibition of arousal arises from neurons located in the preoptic hypothalamus. These preoptic neurons are strongly activated during sleep, exhibiting sleep/waking state‐dependent discharge patterns that are the reciprocal of that observed in the arousal systems. The majority of preoptic sleep regulatory neurons synthesize the inhibitory neurotransmitter GABA. Anatomical and functional evidence supports the hypothesis that GABAergic neurons in the median preoptic nucleus (MnPN) and ventrolateral preoptic area (VLPO) exert inhibitory control over the monoaminergic systems and the hypocretin system during sleep. Recent findings indicate that MnPN and VLPO neurons integrate homeostatic aspects of sleep regulation and are important targets for endogenous sleep factors, such as adenosine and growth hormone releasing hormone.
ISSN:0077-8923
1749-6632
DOI:10.1196/annals.1417.027