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At any time during this sleep mode, the EEG of one brain hemisphere indicates sleep while that of the other is equivalent to wakefulness. In some cases, the corresponding eye is open. This might allow the animal to reduce predator risk and sleep while swimming in water, though the animal may also be capable of sleeping at rest. [35] [36]
During sleep there are remarkable changes in modulatory neurotransmitters throughout the brain. Acetylcholine is an excitatory neurotransmitter that is seen to increase to near waking levels during REM sleep while compared to lower levels during slow-wave sleep. [ 49 ]
[13] [14] The VLPO is inhibited during wakefulness by the arousal-inducing neurotransmitters norepinephrine and acetylcholine. [9] [15] The role of the VLPO in sleep and wakefulness, and its association with sleep disorders – particularly insomnia and narcolepsy – is a growing area of neuroscience research.
Two other neurotransmitters, orexin and gamma-Aminobutyric acid (GABA), seem to promote wakefulness, diminish during deep sleep, and inhibit paradoxical sleep. [ 3 ] [ 26 ] Unlike the abrupt transitions in electrical patterns, the chemical changes in the brain show continuous periodic oscillation.
Scientists observed that slow synchronized oscillations of the neurotransmitter norepinephrine, along with cerebral blood and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF), combine during non-rapid eye movement sleep ...
Improvement to cognitive performance caused by exercise could last for 24 hours, a new study shows. Scientists also linked getting 6 or more hours of sleep to better memory test scores the next day.
During sleep, there is a marked decrease in muscle activity and interactions with the surrounding environment. While sleep differs from wakefulness in terms of the ability to react to stimuli, it still involves active brain patterns, making it more reactive than a coma or disorders of consciousness. [1]
During deep sleep, toxic proteins that form sticky plaques linked to neurological disorders such as Alzheimer's disease are removed, scientists say in a new study.