The Neurobiological Mechanisms of Sleep and Sleep Disorders

A special issue of Biology (ISSN 2079-7737). This special issue belongs to the section "Neuroscience".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (30 November 2022) | Viewed by 1757

Special Issue Editors


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Guest Editor
1. Elson S. Floyd College of Medicine, Washington State University, Spokane, WA 99202, USA
2. Steve Gleason Institute for Neuroscience, Washington State University, Spokane, WA 99202, USA
Interests: molecular mechanisms; sleep; circadian rhythms; memory formation

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Guest Editor
School of Medicine Research Physiologist, VA Portland Health Care System, Oregon Health and Science University, Portland, OR, USA
Interests: sleep physiology and sleep-wake disturbances; post-traumatic stress disorder; exercise physiology
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Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Sleep disorders affect millions of Americans and are commonly found with other existing medical conditions, including cardiovascular disease, chronic pain, diabetes, various neurological disorders, and neurodegenerative disease. To better understand the comorbidities of sleep disturbance and associated negative outcomes, we need to also understand basic sleep function. Several hypotheses exist for the cellular and molecular mechanisms that underlie the need for sleep; however, sleep function remains enigmatic and is a contentious topic. In this Special Issue, we invite authors to explore what neurobiological factors contribute to the need for sleep and how the dysfunction of these mechanisms may relate to sleep disorders. Studies using various animal models or different species, including vertebrate and invertebrate, are welcome. Experimental work using various genetic, epigenetic, molecular, and cellular circuits and systems or behavioral approaches is appropriate for this topic. Research studies or reviews exploring new types of methodologies, analyses, or computational models are also encouraged. This issue aims to complement the current literature in the sleep field, supporting mechanisms and theoretical concepts underlying the physiological function of sleep.

Dr. Jason R. Gerstner
Dr. Jonathan Elliott
Guest Editors

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Keywords

  • chronobiology
  • genetics
  • omics
  • plasticity
  • synapse
  • scaling
  • physiology
  • insomnia

Published Papers (1 paper)

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Research

11 pages, 1417 KiB  
Article
A Study on REM Sleep Homeostasis in the Day-Active Tree Shrew (Tupaia belangeri): Cold-Induced Suppression of REM Sleep Is Not Followed by a Rebound
by Sjoerd J. van Hasselt, Luisa Epifani, Danique Zantinge, Kornelija Vitkute, Martien J. H. Kas, Giancarlo Allocca and Peter Meerlo
Biology 2023, 12(4), 614; https://doi.org/10.3390/biology12040614 - 18 Apr 2023
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1458
Abstract
The function and regulation of rapid-eye-movement (REM) sleep is a topic of ongoing debate. It is often assumed that REM sleep is a homeostatically regulated process and that a need for REM sleep builds up, either during prior wakefulness or during preceding slow [...] Read more.
The function and regulation of rapid-eye-movement (REM) sleep is a topic of ongoing debate. It is often assumed that REM sleep is a homeostatically regulated process and that a need for REM sleep builds up, either during prior wakefulness or during preceding slow wave sleep. In the current study, we tested this hypothesis in six diurnal tree shrews (Tupaia belangeri), small mammals closely related to primates. All animals were individually housed and kept under a 12:12 light-dark cycle with an ambient temperature of 24 °C. We recorded sleep and temperature in the tree shrews for 3 consecutive 24 h days. During the second night, we exposed the animals to a low ambient temperature of 4 °C, a procedure that is known to suppress REM sleep. Cold exposure caused a significant drop in brain temperature and body temperature and also resulted in a strong and selective suppression of REM sleep by 64.9%. However, contrary to our expectation, the loss of REM sleep was not recovered during the subsequent day and night. These findings in a diurnal mammal confirm that the expression of REM sleep is highly sensitive to environmental temperature but do not support the view that REM sleep is homeostatically regulated in this species. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue The Neurobiological Mechanisms of Sleep and Sleep Disorders)
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