6 replies to this topic

[the_apollo]

(Dont know if this is the right sub-forum, hoping it is, anyway..)

I have been wondering about the human brain and sleep for a while now,,
to be more specific; The neurotransmitters and their function/action on the brain while in sleep, what do they do? what is doing what, (and such).
and; how is the brain repairing itself during sleep?
I know that dopamine is active during sleep, and that serotonin and acetylcholine synthesis is surpressed in NREM/deep sleep (maybe dopamine have a repair function in sleep?)

I ask these questions because i got an idea (maybe futile or not), that if i can understand how the brain is "restoring function" during sleep, that i can somehow better sleep and increase the functions of sleep and/or make the brain more effective during the days because of it having spend the sleeping hours more effectivly.

also; Getting tired, what is causing that? It can't just be the Adenosine buildup and lowered levels of histamine (and maybe orexin), can it?

[jadamgo]

You've asked for a graduate level survey of sleep neurobiology.


So I'm going to link you to one: http://www.scholarpe.../Category:Sleep

[the_apollo]

You've asked for a graduate level survey of sleep neurobiology.


So I'm going to link you to one: http://www.scholarpe.../Category:Sleep

Well, it wasnt really what i was looking for, but have some interesting stuff, so thank you for that link.
Looks to have some interesting stuff about sleep.

[the_apollo]

But okay, so there isnt a lot of information about sleep and related activities of neurotransmitters, but surely there has to be some information out ther?!

Lets refine the "parameters" then; I am looking for ANY information about say Dopamine levels, glutamate levels during any stage of sleep. Doesn't matter if you aren't a scientist or dont have a source; Out with it!
I Can Google anything people says for sources and information and find such myself, but i dont know what to go on really, searching "Dopamine Sleep" dont say anything else than "related in waking up",
so i just need someone to point me in the direction, so to say.


So ANY information and even "i remember reading about it"-information you might have and would like to chare, would be great, Thank you.

[jadamgo]

The scholarpedia articles throughout that category describe most of what I know about neurotransmitters and sleep. Here's what I can tell you off-hand:

The locus ceruleus maintains steady norepinephrine activity in the noradrenergic reticular activation system during waking and during non-REM deep sleep. It turns off during REM sleep.

The nucleus basalis maintains acetylcholine activity in the cholinergic reticular activation system during waking and REM sleep. It turns off during non-REM deep sleep.

Melatonin is released by the pineal gland a few hours before bedtime, and attaches to MT1 receptors in the suprachiasmatic nucleus. The suprachiasmatic nucleus controls the circadian rhythm, and it has connections to basal ganglia and midbrain areas responsible for initiating sleep. Melatonin release stops one-to-several hours before time to wake up.

All I know about dopamine and sleep is that sleep deprivation supposedly increases dopamine release.

[the_apollo]

The scholarpedia articles throughout that category describe most of what I know about neurotransmitters and sleep. Here's what I can tell you off-hand:

The locus ceruleus maintains steady norepinephrine activity in the noradrenergic reticular activation system during waking and during non-REM deep sleep. It turns off during REM sleep.

The nucleus basalis maintains acetylcholine activity in the cholinergic reticular activation system during waking and REM sleep. It turns off during non-REM deep sleep.

Melatonin is released by the pineal gland a few hours before bedtime, and attaches to MT1 receptors in the suprachiasmatic nucleus. The suprachiasmatic nucleus controls the circadian rhythm, and it has connections to basal ganglia and midbrain areas responsible for initiating sleep. Melatonin release stops one-to-several hours before time to wake up.

All I know about dopamine and sleep is that sleep deprivation supposedly increases dopamine release.

Thank you for the information.
I've actually been searching about this subject for a while now, and that little i have found out, it seems that GABA and Glycine along with Galanin is the "major" neurotransmitters for sleep,
GABA is the chief inhibitory neurotransmitter that inhibits exitory neuron fireing, Glycine inhibits motor neurons from fireing and Galanin inhibits glutamate functions.
And during sleep the hormones prolactin and other hormones from the pituitary gland that cause an activation of the systems that release/activate BDNF, NGFs and other brain-repairing chemicals.
(although there isn't much proof/studies of that, most seems to be accidental findings when studing something else.)
But worth mentioning is a fact, that prolactin actually repairs myelin, so there may some evidence that it has a function during sleep to repair the brain.

[Galaxyshock]

Histaminergic cells stop firing completely during REM and NREM sleep. Just before waking up they start firing again.