The importance of fetal/neonatal REM sleep

https://doi.org/10.1016/0028-2243(86)90006-7Get rights and content

Abstract

The emergence of behavioral states is one of the most significant aspects of development. The rat is very immature at birth and in some structural and functional aspects of CNS (central nervous system) development it is comparable to a 7-month-old human fetus. At this stage of development synchronization of different state criteria is poorly organized. Infant rats spend very little time in wakefulness and, once asleep, they still display a very high level of motor activation, with frequent rapid eye movements and uncoordinated myoclonic jerks. Although it is questioned whether the activated state of sleep in the newborn rat is comparable to rapid-eye movement sleep (REM) in adults, it has been shown that the CNS displays an increased level of endogenous neuronal activation even in very immature animals during this state. To study the functional significance of REM in early life, rat pups were deprived of this state from 1 to 3 wk of age and tested as adults. In the rat, chronic suppression of REM by interfering with monoamines during early development induced hyperactivity, hyperanxiety, attentional distractability, sleep disturbances, reduced sexual performance and reduced cerebral cortical size. In studies using instrumental, surgical or other pharmacological treatments to suppress REM similar effects on the development of brain and behavior were found. Taken together, these findings point to a role for REM during early development, so that more attention should be given to the potential hazards of medicines (and/or pathologic conditions) which induce reduced levels of REM and or disturbed monoamine activities in the brain during late prenatal and early postnatal life.

References (27)

  • D Jouvet-Monnier et al.

    Ontogenesis of the states of sleep in rat, cat and guinea pig during the first postnatal month

    Dev Psychobiol.

    (1969)
  • A Gramsbergen et al.

    The postnatal development of behavioral states in the rat

    Dev Psychobiol

    (1970)
  • C Dreyfus-Brisac

    Ontogenesis of brain bioelectrical activity and sleep organization in neonates and infants

  • Cited by (69)

    • Long-term sleep disturbances in children: A cause of neuronal loss

      2010, European Journal of Paediatric Neurology
      Citation Excerpt :

      In animals, persistent REM sleep deprivation leads to increased energy expenditure, weight loss in spite of higher food intake, decreased body temperature, debilitating appearance and death.8 Chronic REM sleep deprivation leads to increased programmed cell death (apoptosis), smaller brain size and it also limits cerebral maturation resulting from environmental enrichment.40–42 The development of thalamocortical and intracortical patterns of innervations between neuronal groups is also reflected in the maturation of NREM sleep and corresponds to the height of synaptic remodelling in early life.43

    • Effects of pain management on sleep in preterm infants

      2010, European Journal of Pain
      Citation Excerpt :

      In newborn rats, the pharmacological suppression of REM sleep resulted in behavioral, anatomical, and biochemical alterations. Behavioral effects include reduced exploratory behavior and learning difficulties (Mirmiran et al., 1981), attention problems, anxiety, and sleep disturbances (Mirmiran, 1986). In addition, REM sleep deprivation has been shown to reduce brain mass (Mirmiran, 1986; Morrissey et al., 2004).

    View all citing articles on Scopus
    View full text