Article
Neuronal activity in the peribrachial area: Relationship to behavioral state control

https://doi.org/10.1016/0149-7634(94)00043-ZGet rights and content

Abstract

Extensive studies have ascribed a role to the brainstem cholinergic system in the generation of rapid eye movement (REM) sleep and ponto-geniculo-occipital (PGO) waves. Much of this work stems from systemic and central cholinergic drug administration studies. The brainstem cholinergic system is also implicated in cortical activation via basal forebrain, thalamic, and hypothalamic relay neurons. This cholinergic ascending reticular activating hypothesis has also been suggested by in vivo experiments under anesthetics and by in vitro studies using cholinergic agonists in thalamic and hypothalamic slices. During the last ten years, brainstem cholinergic neurons have been discovered to be in the peribrachial area (PBL). With the discovery of PBL cholinergic neurons, many studies were devoted to the examination of PBL neuronal activity and their connectivity. This article reviews PBL neuronal activity in behaving animals and the anatomical features of these neurons in relation to behavioral state control. The role of the PBL in the generation of REM sleep, PGO waves, and the ascending reticular activating system (ARAS) has been evaluated at the cellular and neurochemical level. Based on recent literature, tentative mechanisms of REM sleep generation, PGO waves generation, and the cortical activation process are also outlined.

References (224)

  • S.S. Campbell et al.

    Animal sleep: A review of sleep duration across phylogeny

    Neurosci. Biobehav. Rev.

    (1984)
  • A.C. Cuello et al.

    The anatomy of the CNS cholinergic neurons

    Trends. Neurosci.

    (1984)
  • S. Datta et al.

    Substantia nigra reticulata neurons during sleep-waking states: Relation with Ponto-geniculo-occipital waves

    Brain Res.

    (1991)
  • S. Datta et al.

    Tonic activity of medial preoptic norepinephrine mechanism for body temperature maintenance in sleeping and awake rats

    Brain Res. Bull.

    (1985)
  • S. Datta et al.

    Interrelationship between the thermal and sleep-wakefulness changes elicited from the medial preoptic area in rats

    Exp. Neurol.

    (1988)
  • W. Dement et al.

    Cyclic variations in EEG during sleep and their relation to eye movements, body motility and dreaming

    Electroenceph. Clin. Neurophysiol.

    (1957)
  • F. Eckenstein et al.

    production of specific antibodies to cloline acetyl-transferase purified from pig brain

    Neurosci.

    (1981)
  • C.E. Fulwiler et al.

    Subnuclear organization of the efferent connections of the parabrachial nucleus in the rat

    Brain Res. Rev.

    (1984)
  • C. Geula et al.

    Differential localization of NADPH-diaphorase and Calbinding-D28K within the cholinergic neurons of the basal forebrain, striatum and brainstem in the rat, monkey, babbon and human

    Neurosci.

    (1993)
  • K.A. Gilbert et al.

    Parabrachial neuron discharge in the cat altered during the carbachol induced REM sleep-like state (D-Carb)

    Neurosci. Lett.

    (1990)
  • J.W. Gnadt et al.

    Cholinergic brainstem mechanism of REM sleep in the rat

    Brain Res.

    (1986)
  • C. Gottesmann

    Theta rhythm: the brainstem involvement

    Neurosci. Biobehav. Rev.

    (1992)
  • A.G. Granata et al.

    Intracellular analysis of excitatory subthalamic inputs to the pedunculopontine neurons

    Brain Res.

    (1989)
  • R.B. Hamilton et al.

    Parabrachial area as mediator of bradycardia in rabbits

    J. Autonom. Nerv. Syst.

    (1981)
  • M. Harandi et al.

    GABA and 5-hydroxytryptamine interrelationship in the rat nucleus raphe dorsalis: Combination of radioautographic and immunocytochemical techniques at light and electron microscopy levels

    Neurosci.

    (1987)
  • J.H. Haring et al.

    The identification of some sources of afferent input to the rat nucleus basalis magnocellularis by retrograde transport of horseradish peroxidase

    Brain Res.

    (1986)
  • S.J. Henriksen et al.

    Dependence of REM sleep PGO waves on cholinergic mechanisms

    Brain Res.

    (1972)
  • C.R. Houser et al.

    Organization and morphological characteristics of cholinergic neurons: an immunohistochemical study with a monoclonal antibody to choline acetyltransferase

    Brain Res.

    (1983)
  • B.L. Jacobs

    Single unit activity of locus coeruleus neurons in behaving animals

    Prog. Neurobiol.

    (1986)
  • B.L. Jacobs et al.

    Neurochemical basis of the PGO wave

    Brain Res.

    (1972)
  • B.E. Jones

    Paradoxical sleep and its chemical/structural substrates in the brain

    Neurosci.

    (1991)
  • B.E. Jones et al.

    Afferents to the basal forebrain cholinergic cell area from pontomesencephalic-catecholamine, serotonin, and acetylcholine-neurons

    Neuroscience

    (1989)
  • B.E. Jones et al.

    Neurotoxic lesions of the dorsolateral ponto-mesencephalic tegmentum cholinergic cells area in the cat. I. Effect upon the cholinergic innervation of the brain

    Brain Res.

    (1988)
  • A. Jourdain et al.

    Basal forebrain and mesopontine tegmental projections to the reticular thalamic nucleus: An axonal collateralization and immunohistochemical study in the rat

    Brain Res.

    (1989)
  • Y. Kang et al.

    Electrophysiological properties of pedunculo-pontine neurons and their postsynaptic responses following stimulation of substantia nigra reticulata

    Brain Res.

    (1990)
  • T. Kasamatsu

    Maintained and evoked unit activity in the mesencephalic reticular formation of the freely behaving cat

    Exp. Neurol.

    (1970)
  • L.S. Kaufman

    Parachlorophenylalnine does not affect pontinegeniculate-occipital waves in rats despite significant effects on other sleep-waking parameters

    Exp. Neurol.

    (1983)
  • Y. Kayama et al.

    Firing of “possibly” cholinergic neurons in the rat laterodorsal tegmental nucleus during sleep and wakefulness

    Brain Res.

    (1992)
  • T. Kodama et al.

    Enhancement of acetylcholine release during REM sleep in the caudomedial medulla as measured by in vivo microdialysis

    Brain Res.

    (1992)
  • T. Kodama et al.

    Enhancement of acetylcholine release during paradoxical sleep in the dorsal tegmental field of the cat brainstem

    Neurosci. Lett.

    (1990)
  • D.A. Armstrong et al.

    Distribution of cholinergic neurons in the rat brain demonstrated by the immunohistochemical localization of choline-acetyltransferase

    J. Comp. Neurol.

    (1983)
  • E. Aserinsky et al.

    Regularly occurring periods of eye motility, and concomitant phenomena during sleep

    Science

    (1953)
  • G. Aston-Jones et al.

    Activity of norepinephrine-containing locus coeruleus neurons in behaving rats anticipates fluctuations in the sleep-waking cycle

    J. Neurosci.

    (1981)
  • G. Aston-Jones et al.

    Norepinephrine-containing locus coeruleus neurons in behaving rats exhibit pronounced responses to nonnoxious environmental stimuli

    J. Neurosci.

    (1981)
  • G. Aston-Jones et al.

    The brain nucleus locus coeruleus: Restricted afferent control of a broad efferent network

    Science

    (1986)
  • H.A. Baghdoyann et al.

    The carbachol induced enhancement of desynchronized sleep signs is dose dependent and antagonized by centrally administered atropine

    Neuropsychopharmacology

    (1989)
  • H.A. Baghdoyan et al.

    Microinjection of neostigmine into the pontine reticular formation of cats enhances desynchronized sleep signs

    J. Pharmacol. Exp. Ther.

    (1984)
  • H.A. Baghdoyan et al.

    Simultaneous pontine and basal forebrain microinjections of carbachol suppress REM sleep

    J. Neurosci.

    (1993)
  • R.M. Beckstead et al.

    The nucleus of the solitary tract in the monkey: projections to the thalamus and brainstem nuclei

    J. Comp. Neurol.

    (1980)
  • C.W. Berridge et al.

    Effects of locus coeruleus activation on electroencephalographic activity in neocortex and hippocampus

    J. Neurosci.

    (1991)
  • Cited by (107)

    • Clinical trial: imaging techniques in sleep studies

      2021, Methodological Approaches for Sleep and Vigilance Research
    • New pathways and data on rapid eye movement sleep behaviour disorder in a rat model

      2013, Sleep Medicine
      Citation Excerpt :

      Although we found that a delayed RBD-like activity was seen in one high-dose saclofen infusion, this activity may have resulted from an up-regulation of GABAB receptors induced by antagonist infusion [38]. The PPT, located about 1 mm ventral and medial to the ICX, is known to contain several classes of cholinergic REM-On neurons [39,40]. GABAB mechanisms in the PPT have been reported to be involved in the control of REM sleep in the rat [41,42].

    • Phasic Pontine-Wave (P-Wave) Generation

      2012, Sleep and Brain Activity
    View all citing articles on Scopus
    View full text