Rapid Increase to Double Breathing Rate Appears During REM Sleep in Synchrony with REM –A Higher CNS Control of Breathing? –

Abstract

Breathing rate (BR) during rapid eye movement (REM) sleep is known to fluctuate largely, while increases in BR during REM sleep reported were small. In our mice experiments, we found that mice exhibit a rapid increase in instantaneous BR (RIBR) of >2 fold during natural sleep with accompanying atonia, laying their sides down. The RIBR was further found in a sleeping mouse attached with EEG electrodes when the EEG amplitude and delta wave power were lower. Therefore, it is likely that mice show RIBRs during REM sleep. Interestingly, similar RIBRs accompanied by atonia and REM burst during REM sleep were also found in humans by standard polysomnographic studies in 11 healthy volunteers (age: 22.3 +/- 2.8) with BR measurement by nasal/oral airflow sensors and chest/abdomen belt sensors. All subjects underwent RIBR of doubled BR at least once a night. As SpO(2) before RIBRs was a level not effective to be a respiratory stimulant (96.7 +/- 1.6 %, n = 63), the RIBR seems to be controlled by higher central nervous system rather than autonomic nervous system control on response to central and peripheral chemical sensors. In fact, tachypnea with suppressed amplitude during RIBR resulted in a slight fall in SpO(2) (96.4 +/- 1.7 %, p = 0.0007). In the present study, RIBRs accompanied by atonia and REM were not necessarily consistent in change in rate and/or amplitude, therefore, these various pattern of RIBRs may be potential indices of dreams with various emotional contents. Analysis of instantaneous BR, thus, may be a helpful tool for understanding the neural control of breathing during REM sleep.

Tachypnea Seen During Positive Airway Pressure Titration Studies: A Case Series of Four Patients

“…After a literature search we found one published case report describing REM sleep-related tachypnea to the degree seen in our studies, double the baseline breathing rate. 5 However, the previous case report was observed in normal healthy volunteers and tachypnea was thought to be mediated due to direct spinal reflex pathways, to the best of our knowledge this direct spinal reflex pathway in humans has not been described anywhere else in literature yet. In our case series, chart review and data corroboration showed that events occurred during PAP titration studies with high PAP pressures (pressure ranges IPAP 18-25 cmH 2 O and EPAP 14-17 cmH 2 O).…”

Noninvasive detection of sleep/wake changes and cataplexy-like behaviors in orexin/ataxin-3 transgenic narcoleptic mice across the disease onset

“…Several researchers demonstrated that the PZT system can also detect signals from the chest and abdominal movements related to respiration (Flores et al, 2007; Sato et al, 2006; Zehendner et al, 2013) in addition to heartbeat sounds. These signals may also be included into the sleep scoring to improve REM sleep detection because significant fluctuations of these parameters are known to occur in REM sleep (Sato et al, 2010). …”

Proton Pump Inhibitor “Lansoprazole” Inhibits Locus Coeruleus’s Neuronal Activity and Increases Rapid Eye Movement Sleep

“…11,12 The decreased breathing rate during NREM sleep elevates pCO 2 and reduces blood pH, 10,13−16 but the levels become normal with the increased breathing rate during REM sleep. 17 Hence, possibly, one of the functions of REM sleep could be to maintain the normal pH and the homeostatic balance of pCO 2 during sleep. 10 The locus coeruleus (LC) neurons are intrinsically chemosensitive, and they respond to a drop in the extracellular pH by increasing their firing rate and concomitantly elevating the breathing frequency.…”

“…Although REM sleep is crucial for survival, it is not present in all organisms, rather found only in terrestrial birds and mammals. ,, Further, many studies suggest that breathing and heart rates decrease during a long spell of NREM sleep . On the other hand, these parameters increase during REM sleep. , The decreased breathing rate during NREM sleep elevates pCO 2 and reduces blood pH, ,− but the levels become normal with the increased breathing rate during REM sleep . Hence, possibly, one of the functions of REM sleep could be to maintain the normal pH and the homeostatic balance of pCO 2 during sleep …”