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Choi A, Smith J, Wang Y, Shin H, Kim B, Wiest A, Jin X, An I, Hong J, Antila H, Thomas S, Bhattarai JP, Beier K, Ma M, Weber F, Chung S. Circuit mechanism underlying fragmented sleep and memory deficits in 16p11.2 deletion mouse model of autism. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2023.12.26.573156. [PMID: 38234815 PMCID: PMC10793436 DOI: 10.1101/2023.12.26.573156] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/19/2024]
Abstract
Sleep disturbances are prevalent in children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and have a major impact on the quality of life. Strikingly, sleep problems are positively correlated with the severity of ASD symptoms, such as memory impairment. However, the neural mechanisms underlying sleep disturbances and cognitive deficits in ASD are largely unexplored. Here, we show that non-rapid eye movement sleep (NREMs) is highly fragmented in the 16p11.2 deletion mouse model of ASD. The degree of sleep fragmentation is reflected in an increased number of calcium transients in the activity of locus coeruleus noradrenergic (LC-NE) neurons during NREMs. Exposure to a novel environment further exacerbates sleep disturbances in 16p11.2 deletion mice by fragmenting NREMs and decreasing rapid eye movement sleep (REMs). In contrast, optogenetic inhibition of LC-NE neurons and pharmacological blockade of noradrenergic transmission using clonidine reverse sleep fragmentation. Furthermore, inhibiting LC-NE neurons restores memory. Rabies-mediated unbiased screening of presynaptic neurons reveals altered connectivity of LC-NE neurons with sleep- and memory regulatory brain regions in 16p11.2 deletion mice. Our findings demonstrate that heightened activity of LC-NE neurons and altered brain-wide connectivity underlies sleep fragmentation in 16p11.2 deletion mice and identify a crucial role of the LC-NE system in regulating sleep stability and memory in ASD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ashley Choi
- Department of Neuroscience, Chronobiology and Sleep Institute, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Jennifer Smith
- Department of Neuroscience, Chronobiology and Sleep Institute, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Yingqi Wang
- Department of Neuroscience, Chronobiology and Sleep Institute, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Hyunsoo Shin
- Department of Neuroscience, Chronobiology and Sleep Institute, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Bowon Kim
- Department of Neuroscience, Chronobiology and Sleep Institute, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Alyssa Wiest
- Department of Neuroscience, Chronobiology and Sleep Institute, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Xi Jin
- Department of Neuroscience, Chronobiology and Sleep Institute, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Isabella An
- Department of Neuroscience, Chronobiology and Sleep Institute, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Jiso Hong
- Department of Neuroscience, Chronobiology and Sleep Institute, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Hanna Antila
- Department of Neuroscience, Chronobiology and Sleep Institute, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Steven Thomas
- Department of Pharmacology, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Janardhan P Bhattarai
- Department of Neuroscience, Chronobiology and Sleep Institute, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Kevin Beier
- Department of Physiology and Biophysics, School of Medicine, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, CA 92617, USA
| | - Minghong Ma
- Department of Neuroscience, Chronobiology and Sleep Institute, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Franz Weber
- Department of Neuroscience, Chronobiology and Sleep Institute, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Shinjae Chung
- Department of Neuroscience, Chronobiology and Sleep Institute, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
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2
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Feng H, Qiao QC, Luo QF, Zhou JY, Lei F, Chen Y, Wen SY, Chen WH, Pang YJ, Hu ZA, Jiang YB, Zhang XY, Zhou TY, Zhang XY, Yang N, Zhang J, Hu R. Orexin Neurons to Sublaterodorsal Tegmental Nucleus Pathway Prevents Sleep Onset REM Sleep-Like Behavior by Relieving the REM Sleep Pressure. RESEARCH (WASHINGTON, D.C.) 2024; 7:0355. [PMID: 38694202 PMCID: PMC11062508 DOI: 10.34133/research.0355] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/07/2024] [Accepted: 03/25/2024] [Indexed: 05/04/2024]
Abstract
Proper timing of vigilance states serves fundamental brain functions. Although disturbance of sleep onset rapid eye movement (SOREM) sleep is frequently reported after orexin deficiency, their causal relationship still remains elusive. Here, we further study a specific subgroup of orexin neurons with convergent projection to the REM sleep promoting sublaterodorsal tegmental nucleus (OXSLD neurons). Intriguingly, although OXSLD and other projection-labeled orexin neurons exhibit similar activity dynamics during REM sleep, only the activation level of OXSLD neurons exhibits a significant positive correlation with the post-inter-REM sleep interval duration, revealing an essential role for the orexin-sublaterodorsal tegmental nucleus (SLD) neural pathway in relieving REM sleep pressure. Monosynaptic tracing reveals that multiple inputs may help shape this REM sleep-related dynamics of OXSLD neurons. Genetic ablation further shows that the homeostatic architecture of sleep/wakefulness cycles, especially avoidance of SOREM sleep-like transition, is dependent on this activity. A positive correlation between the SOREM sleep occurrence probability and depression states of narcoleptic patients further demonstrates the possible significance of the orexin-SLD pathway on REM sleep homeostasis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hui Feng
- Department of Neurobiology,
Army Medical University, 400038 Chongqing, P.R. China
- Department of Neurosurgery and Key Laboratory of Neurotrauma, Southwest Hospital,
Army Medical University, 400038 Chongqing, P.R. China
| | - Qi-Cheng Qiao
- Department of Physiology,
Army Medical University, 400038 Chongqing, P.R. China
| | - Qi-Fa Luo
- Department of Physiology,
Army Medical University, 400038 Chongqing, P.R. China
| | - Jun-Ying Zhou
- Sleep Medicine Center, West China Hospital,
Sichuan University, 610000 Chengdu, Sichuan, P.R. China
| | - Fei Lei
- Sleep Medicine Center, West China Hospital,
Sichuan University, 610000 Chengdu, Sichuan, P.R. China
| | - Yao Chen
- Department of Physiology,
Army Medical University, 400038 Chongqing, P.R. China
| | - Si-Yi Wen
- Department of Physiology,
Army Medical University, 400038 Chongqing, P.R. China
| | - Wen-Hao Chen
- Department of Physiology,
Army Medical University, 400038 Chongqing, P.R. China
| | - Yu-Jie Pang
- Department of Physiology,
Army Medical University, 400038 Chongqing, P.R. China
| | - Zhi-An Hu
- Department of Physiology,
Army Medical University, 400038 Chongqing, P.R. China
| | - Yi-Bin Jiang
- Department of Neurosurgery and Key Laboratory of Neurotrauma, Southwest Hospital,
Army Medical University, 400038 Chongqing, P.R. China
| | - Xu-Yang Zhang
- Department of Neurosurgery and Key Laboratory of Neurotrauma, Southwest Hospital,
Army Medical University, 400038 Chongqing, P.R. China
| | - Teng-Yuan Zhou
- Department of Neurosurgery and Key Laboratory of Neurotrauma, Southwest Hospital,
Army Medical University, 400038 Chongqing, P.R. China
| | - Xin-Yan Zhang
- Sleep Medicine Center, West China Hospital,
Sichuan University, 610000 Chengdu, Sichuan, P.R. China
| | - Nian Yang
- Department of Physiology,
Army Medical University, 400038 Chongqing, P.R. China
| | - Jun Zhang
- Department of Neurobiology,
Army Medical University, 400038 Chongqing, P.R. China
- Department of Physiology,
Army Medical University, 400038 Chongqing, P.R. China
| | - Rong Hu
- Department of Neurosurgery and Key Laboratory of Neurotrauma, Southwest Hospital,
Army Medical University, 400038 Chongqing, P.R. China
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3
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Choi A, Smith J, Wang Y, Shin H, Kim B, Wiest A, Jin X, An I, Hong J, Antila H, Thomas S, Bhattarai JP, Beier K, Ma M, Weber F, Chung S. Circuit mechanism underlying fragmented sleep and memory deficits in 16p11.2 deletion mouse model of autism. RESEARCH SQUARE 2024:rs.3.rs-3877710. [PMID: 38559267 PMCID: PMC10980164 DOI: 10.21203/rs.3.rs-3877710/v1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/04/2024]
Abstract
Sleep disturbances are prevalent in children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and have a major impact on the quality of life. Strikingly, sleep problems are positively correlated with the severity of ASD symptoms, such as memory impairment. However, the neural mechanisms underlying sleep disturbances and cognitive deficits in ASD are largely unexplored. Here, we show that non-rapid eye movement sleep (NREMs) is highly fragmented in the 16p11.2 deletion mouse model of ASD. The degree of sleep fragmentation is reflected in an increased number of calcium transients in the activity of locus coeruleus noradrenergic (LC-NE) neurons during NREMs. Exposure to a novel environment further exacerbates sleep disturbances in 16p11.2 deletion mice by fragmenting NREMs and decreasing rapid eye movement sleep (REMs). In contrast, optogenetic inhibition of LC-NE neurons and pharmacological blockade of noradrenergic transmission using clonidine reverse sleep fragmentation. Furthermore, inhibiting LC-NE neurons restores memory. Rabies-mediated unbiased screening of presynaptic neurons reveals altered connectivity of LC-NE neurons with sleep- and memory regulatory brain regions in 16p11.2 deletion mice. Our findings demonstrate that heightened activity of LC-NE neurons and altered brain-wide connectivity underlies sleep fragmentation in 16p11.2 deletion mice and identify a crucial role of the LC-NE system in regulating sleep stability and memory in ASD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ashley Choi
- Department of Neuroscience, Chronobiology and Sleep Institute, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Jennifer Smith
- Department of Neuroscience, Chronobiology and Sleep Institute, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Yingqi Wang
- Department of Neuroscience, Chronobiology and Sleep Institute, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Hyunsoo Shin
- Department of Neuroscience, Chronobiology and Sleep Institute, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Bowon Kim
- Department of Neuroscience, Chronobiology and Sleep Institute, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Alyssa Wiest
- Department of Neuroscience, Chronobiology and Sleep Institute, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Xi Jin
- Department of Neuroscience, Chronobiology and Sleep Institute, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Isabella An
- Department of Neuroscience, Chronobiology and Sleep Institute, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Jiso Hong
- Department of Neuroscience, Chronobiology and Sleep Institute, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Hanna Antila
- Department of Neuroscience, Chronobiology and Sleep Institute, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Steven Thomas
- Department of Pharmacology, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Janardhan P. Bhattarai
- Department of Neuroscience, Chronobiology and Sleep Institute, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Kevin Beier
- Department of Physiology and Biophysics, School of Medicine, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, CA 92617, USA
| | - Minghong Ma
- Department of Neuroscience, Chronobiology and Sleep Institute, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Franz Weber
- Department of Neuroscience, Chronobiology and Sleep Institute, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Shinjae Chung
- Department of Neuroscience, Chronobiology and Sleep Institute, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
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Cajochen C, Reichert CF, Münch M, Gabel V, Stefani O, Chellappa SL, Schmidt C. Ultradian sleep cycles: Frequency, duration, and associations with individual and environmental factors-A retrospective study. Sleep Health 2024; 10:S52-S62. [PMID: 37914631 DOI: 10.1016/j.sleh.2023.09.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/20/2023] [Revised: 09/04/2023] [Accepted: 09/06/2023] [Indexed: 11/03/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Sleep varies between individuals in response to sleep-wake history and various environmental factors, including light and noise. Here we report on the intranight variation of the ultradian nonrapid eye movement-rapid eye movement (NREM-REM) sleep cycle in 369 participants who have contributed to different laboratory studies from 1994 to 2020 at the Centre for Chronobiology, Basel, Switzerland. RESULTS We observed a large interindividual variability in sleep cycle duration, including NREM and REM sleep episodes in healthy participants who were given an 8-hour sleep opportunity at habitual bedtime in controlled laboratory settings. The median sleep cycle duration was 96 minutes out of 6064 polysomnographically-recorded cycles. The number and duration of cycles were not normally distributed, and the distribution became narrower for NREM sleep and wider for REM sleep later in the night. The first cycle was consistently shorter than subsequent cycles, and moderate presleep light or nocturnal noise exposure had no significant effects on ultradian sleep cycle duration. Age and sex significantly affected NREM and REM sleep duration, with older individuals having longer NREM and shorter REM sleep particularly in the end of the night, and females having longer NREM sleep episodes. High sleep pressure (ie, sleep deprivation) and low sleep pressure (ie, multiple naps) altered ultradian sleep cycles, with high sleep pressure leading to longer NREM sleep in the first cycle, and low sleep pressure leading to longer REM sleep episodes. Positive correlations were observed between N2 and NREM duration, and between N1 and REM duration. Weak intrasleep REM sleep homeostasis was also evident in our data set. CONCLUSIONS We conclude that ultradian sleep cycles are endogenous biological rhythms modulated by age, sex, and sleep homeostasis, but not directly responsive to (moderate levels of) environmental cues in healthy good sleepers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christian Cajochen
- Centre for Chronobiology, Psychiatric Hospital of the University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland; Research Cluster Molecular and Cognitive Neurosciences (MCN), University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland.
| | - Carolin Franziska Reichert
- Centre for Chronobiology, Psychiatric Hospital of the University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland; Research Cluster Molecular and Cognitive Neurosciences (MCN), University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Mirjam Münch
- Centre for Chronobiology, Psychiatric Hospital of the University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland; Research Cluster Molecular and Cognitive Neurosciences (MCN), University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland
| | | | - Oliver Stefani
- Centre for Chronobiology, Psychiatric Hospital of the University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland; Research Cluster Molecular and Cognitive Neurosciences (MCN), University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Sarah Laxhmi Chellappa
- School of Psychology, Faculty of Environmental and Life Sciences, University of Southampton, Southampton, United Kingdom
| | - Christina Schmidt
- Sleep & Chronobiology Group, GIGA-CRC-In Vivo Imaging Research Unit, University of Liège, Liège, Belgium; Psychology and Neuroscience of Cognition Research Unit (PsyNCog), Faculty of Psychology, Speech and Language, University of Liège, Liège, Belgium
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5
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Smith J, Honig-Frand A, Antila H, Choi A, Kim H, Beier KT, Weber F, Chung S. Regulation of stress-induced sleep fragmentation by preoptic glutamatergic neurons. Curr Biol 2024; 34:12-23.e5. [PMID: 38096820 PMCID: PMC10872481 DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2023.11.035] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/22/2023] [Revised: 09/28/2023] [Accepted: 11/15/2023] [Indexed: 01/11/2024]
Abstract
Sleep disturbances are detrimental to our behavioral and emotional well-being. Stressful events disrupt sleep, in particular by inducing brief awakenings (microarousals, MAs), resulting in sleep fragmentation. The preoptic area of the hypothalamus (POA) is crucial for sleep control. However, how POA neurons contribute to the regulation of MAs and thereby impact sleep quality is unknown. Using fiber photometry in mice, we examine the activity of genetically defined POA subpopulations during sleep. We find that POA glutamatergic neurons are rhythmically activated in synchrony with an infraslow rhythm in the spindle band of the electroencephalogram during non-rapid eye movement sleep (NREMs) and are transiently activated during MAs. Optogenetic stimulation of these neurons promotes MAs and wakefulness. Exposure to acute social defeat stress fragments NREMs and significantly increases the number of transients in the calcium activity of POA glutamatergic neurons during NREMs. By reducing MAs, optogenetic inhibition during spontaneous sleep and after stress consolidates NREMs. Monosynaptically restricted rabies tracing reveals that POA glutamatergic neurons are innervated by brain regions regulating stress and sleep. In particular, presynaptic glutamatergic neurons in the lateral hypothalamus become activated after stress, and stimulating their projections to the POA promotes MAs and wakefulness. Our findings uncover a novel circuit mechanism by which POA excitatory neurons regulate sleep quality after stress.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jennifer Smith
- Department of Neuroscience, Chronobiology and Sleep Institute, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Adam Honig-Frand
- Department of Neuroscience, Chronobiology and Sleep Institute, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Hanna Antila
- Department of Neuroscience, Chronobiology and Sleep Institute, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Ashley Choi
- Department of Neuroscience, Chronobiology and Sleep Institute, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Hannah Kim
- Department of Neuroscience, Chronobiology and Sleep Institute, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Kevin T Beier
- Department of Physiology and Biophysics, School of Medicine, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, CA 92617, USA
| | - Franz Weber
- Department of Neuroscience, Chronobiology and Sleep Institute, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Shinjae Chung
- Department of Neuroscience, Chronobiology and Sleep Institute, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA.
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6
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Franken P, Dijk DJ. Sleep and circadian rhythmicity as entangled processes serving homeostasis. Nat Rev Neurosci 2024; 25:43-59. [PMID: 38040815 DOI: 10.1038/s41583-023-00764-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 10/19/2023] [Indexed: 12/03/2023]
Abstract
Sleep is considered essential for the brain and body. A predominant concept is that sleep is regulated by circadian rhythmicity and sleep homeostasis, processes that were posited to be functionally and mechanistically separate. Here we review and re-evaluate this concept and its assumptions using findings from recent human and rodent studies. Alterations in genes that are central to circadian rhythmicity affect not only sleep timing but also putative markers of sleep homeostasis such as electroencephalogram slow-wave activity (SWA). Perturbations of sleep change the rhythmicity in the expression of core clock genes in tissues outside the central clock. The dynamics of recovery from sleep loss vary across sleep variables: SWA and immediate early genes show an early response, but the recovery of non-rapid eye movement and rapid eye movement sleep follows slower time courses. Changes in the expression of many genes in response to sleep perturbations outlast the effects on SWA and time spent asleep. These findings are difficult to reconcile with the notion that circadian- and sleep-wake-driven processes are mutually independent and that the dynamics of sleep homeostasis are reflected in a single variable. Further understanding of how both sleep and circadian rhythmicity contribute to the homeostasis of essential physiological variables may benefit from the assessment of multiple sleep and molecular variables over longer time scales.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paul Franken
- Center for Integrative Genomics, University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland.
| | - Derk-Jan Dijk
- Surrey Sleep Research Centre, University of Surrey, Guildford, UK.
- UK Dementia Research Institute, Care Research and Technology Centre, Imperial College London and the University of Surrey, Guildford, UK.
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7
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Weber F, Hong J, Lozano D, Beier K, Chung S. Prefrontal Cortical Regulation of REM Sleep. RESEARCH SQUARE 2023:rs.3.rs-1417511. [PMID: 37886570 PMCID: PMC10602053 DOI: 10.21203/rs.3.rs-1417511/v1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/28/2023]
Abstract
Rapid-eye-movement (REM) sleep is accompanied by intense cortical activity, underlying its wake-like electroencephalogram (EEG). The neural activity inducing REM sleep is thought to originate from subcortical circuits in brainstem and hypothalamus. However, whether cortical neurons can also trigger REM sleep has remained unknown. Here, we show in mice that the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) strongly promotes REM sleep. Bidirectional optogenetic manipulations demonstrate that excitatory mPFC neurons promote REM sleep through their projections to the lateral hypothalamus (LH) and regulate phasic events, reflected in accelerated EEG theta oscillations and increased eye-movement density during REM sleep. Calcium imaging reveals that the majority of LH-projecting mPFC neurons are maximally activated during REM sleep and a subpopulation is recruited during phasic theta accelerations. Our results delineate a cortico-hypothalamic circuit for the top-down control of REM sleep and identify a critical role of the mPFC in regulating phasic events during REM sleep.
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8
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Hong J, Lozano DE, Beier KT, Chung S, Weber F. Prefrontal cortical regulation of REM sleep. Nat Neurosci 2023; 26:1820-1832. [PMID: 37735498 DOI: 10.1038/s41593-023-01398-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/03/2022] [Accepted: 06/28/2023] [Indexed: 09/23/2023]
Abstract
Rapid eye movement (REM) sleep is accompanied by intense cortical activity, underlying its wake-like electroencephalogram. The neural activity inducing REM sleep is thought to originate from subcortical circuits in brainstem and hypothalamus. However, whether cortical neurons can also trigger REM sleep has remained unknown. Here we show in mice that the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) strongly promotes REM sleep. Bidirectional optogenetic manipulations demonstrate that excitatory mPFC neurons promote REM sleep through their projections to the lateral hypothalamus and regulate phasic events, reflected in accelerated electroencephalogram theta oscillations and increased eye movement density during REM sleep. Calcium imaging reveals that the majority of lateral hypothalamus-projecting mPFC neurons are maximally activated during REM sleep and a subpopulation is recruited during phasic theta accelerations. Our results delineate a cortico-hypothalamic circuit for the top-down control of REM sleep and identify a critical role of the mPFC in regulating phasic events during REM sleep.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jiso Hong
- Department of Neuroscience, Perelman School of Medicine, Chronobiology and Sleep Institute, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - David E Lozano
- Department of Neuroscience, Perelman School of Medicine, Chronobiology and Sleep Institute, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Kevin T Beier
- Department of Physiology and Biophysics, School of Medicine, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, CA, USA
| | - Shinjae Chung
- Department of Neuroscience, Perelman School of Medicine, Chronobiology and Sleep Institute, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Franz Weber
- Department of Neuroscience, Perelman School of Medicine, Chronobiology and Sleep Institute, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA.
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9
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Schott AL, Baik J, Chung S, Weber F. A medullary hub for controlling REM sleep and pontine waves. Nat Commun 2023; 14:3922. [PMID: 37400467 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-39496-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/07/2022] [Accepted: 06/07/2023] [Indexed: 07/05/2023] Open
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.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amanda L Schott
- Department of Neuroscience, Perelman School of Medicine, Chronobiology and Sleep Institute, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, 19104, USA
| | - Justin Baik
- Department of Neuroscience, Perelman School of Medicine, Chronobiology and Sleep Institute, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, 19104, USA
| | - Shinjae Chung
- Department of Neuroscience, Perelman School of Medicine, Chronobiology and Sleep Institute, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, 19104, USA
| | - Franz Weber
- Department of Neuroscience, Perelman School of Medicine, Chronobiology and Sleep Institute, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, 19104, USA.
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10
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Antila H, Kwak I, Choi A, Pisciotti A, Covarrubias I, Baik J, Eisch A, Beier K, Thomas S, Weber F, Chung S. A noradrenergic-hypothalamic neural substrate for stress-induced sleep disturbances. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2022; 119:e2123528119. [PMID: 36331996 PMCID: PMC9659376 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2123528119] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/12/2022] [Accepted: 08/19/2022] [Indexed: 11/06/2022] Open
Abstract
In our daily life, we are exposed to uncontrollable and stressful events that disrupt our sleep. However, the underlying neural mechanisms deteriorating the quality of non-rapid eye movement sleep (NREMs) and REM sleep are largely unknown. Here, we show in mice that acute psychosocial stress disrupts sleep by increasing brief arousals (microarousals [MAs]), reducing sleep spindles, and impairing infraslow oscillations in the spindle band of the electroencephalogram during NREMs, while reducing REMs. This poor sleep quality was reflected in an increased number of calcium transients in the activity of noradrenergic (NE) neurons in the locus coeruleus (LC) during NREMs. Opto- and chemogenetic LC-NE activation in naïve mice is sufficient to change the sleep microarchitecture similar to stress. Conversely, chemogenetically inhibiting LC-NE neurons reduced MAs during NREMs and normalized their number after stress. Specifically inhibiting LC-NE neurons projecting to the preoptic area of the hypothalamus (POA) decreased MAs and enhanced spindles and REMs after stress. Optrode recordings revealed that stimulating LC-NE fibers in the POA indeed suppressed the spiking activity of POA neurons that are activated during sleep spindles and REMs and inactivated during MAs. Our findings reveal that changes in the dynamics of the stress-regulatory LC-NE neurons during sleep negatively affect sleep quality, partially through their interaction with the POA.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hanna Antila
- Department of Neuroscience, Chronobiology, and Sleep Institute, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104
| | - Iris Kwak
- Department of Neuroscience, Chronobiology, and Sleep Institute, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104
| | - Ashley Choi
- Department of Neuroscience, Chronobiology, and Sleep Institute, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104
| | - Alexa Pisciotti
- Department of Neuroscience, Chronobiology, and Sleep Institute, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104
| | - Ivan Covarrubias
- Department of Neuroscience, Chronobiology, and Sleep Institute, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104
| | - Justin Baik
- Department of Neuroscience, Chronobiology, and Sleep Institute, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104
| | - Amelia Eisch
- Department of Neuroscience, Chronobiology, and Sleep Institute, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104
- Department of Anesthesiology and Critical Care Medicine, The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia Research Institute, Philadelphia, PA 19104
| | - Kevin Beier
- Department of Physiology and Biophysics, School of Medicine, University of California, Irvine, CA 92617
| | - Steven Thomas
- Department of Pharmacology, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104
| | - Franz Weber
- Department of Neuroscience, Chronobiology, and Sleep Institute, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104
| | - Shinjae Chung
- Department of Neuroscience, Chronobiology, and Sleep Institute, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104
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Park SH, Baik J, Hong J, Antila H, Kurland B, Chung S, Weber F. Correction: A probabilistic model for the ultradian timing of REM sleep in mice. PLoS Comput Biol 2022; 18:e1010225. [PMID: 35653331 PMCID: PMC9162343 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pcbi.1010225] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
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