Topic: microarousals

The corticotropin-releasing hormone (CRH) is a peptide associated with stress and anxiety that acts as a potent modulator in the central nervous system. The thalamic reticular nucleus (TRN) displays high expression of the CRH receptor 1 (CRHR1), but whether CRH modulates key TRN functions, such as sleep spindle rhythmogenesis, has not yet been explored.Using viral mapping, we identified diverse extra-hypothalamic CRH afferents to the TRN, such as the basolateral amygdala, zona incerta and subnuclei within the geniculate nucleus. Combining polysomnographic and photometric recordings in mice, we

The noradrenergic locus coeruleus (LC) is a fundamental component in the regulation of brain states supporting wakefulness. However, the possibility that it also plays a role for sleep has been around for many years. Gaining a more profound understanding of LC activity in the sleeping brain is crucial for better comprehension of sleep progression in health and disease. Using fiber photometry recordings combined with polysomnography, we show that NREMS alternates between two distinct brain states that arise from infraslow (~50s) activity fluctuations in LC neurons. During NREMS, high LC transie