A Pontine-Medullary Loop Crucial for REM Sleep and its Deficit in Parkinson’s Disease

New research sheds light on REM sleep behavior disorder and its link to neurodegenerative diseases like Parkinson's. 🧠🔬💤

Researchers have identified new subtypes of brainstem neurons responsible for inducing REM sleep. By manipulating these neurons in mice, they could activate REM sleep, or alternatively trigger a state similar to REM sleep behavior disorder (RBD). In individuals with Parkinson's who had RBD, similar cell subtypes were shown to contain abnormal synuclein. These findings, published in Cell, open up new possibilities for treatments targeting RBD and related conditions.