Skeletal muscle tone is potently suppressed during rapid eye movement (REM) sleep. It is hypothesized that this suppression is due to the active inhibition of somatic motor neurons. Active inhibition involves an increase in the release of inhibitory neurotransmitters, specifically glycine and γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA), which work to actively suppress motor neuron excitability and hence muscle tone. While there is evidence supporting a role for active inhibition in REM sleep, most of this work derives from single-cell recordings in head-restrained cats or from pharmacological models of REM sleep (e.g., carbachol-induced REM-like sleep) (Chase, Soja and Morales 1989; Chirwa, Stafford-Segert, Soja and Chase 1991; Fenik, Davies and Kubin 2005; Soja, Finch and Chase 1987).
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Brooks, P.L., Peever, J.H. (2008). Biochemical Control of Airway Motor Neurons During Rapid Eye Movement Sleep. In: Poulin, M.J., Wilson, R.J.A. (eds) Integration in Respiratory Control. Advances in Experimental Medicine and Biology, vol 605. Springer, New York, NY. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-0-387-73693-8_76
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