Pedunculopontine arousal system physiology- implications for schizophrenia

GARCIA-RILL E; D'ONOFRIO S; MAHAFFEY S; BISAGNO V; URBANO FJ

Sleep Science

Production and Hosting by Elsevier B.V. on behalf of the Brazilian Association of Sleep

Año: 2015 vol. 8 p. 82 - 91

Schizophrenia is characterized by major sleep/wake disturbances including increased vigilance and arousal, decreased low wave sleep, and increased REM sleep drive. Other arousal related symptoms include sensory gating deficits as exemplified by decreased habituation of the blink reflex. Thereisalsodysregulation of gamma band activity, suggestive of disturbances in a host of arousal-related mechanisms. This review examines the role of the reticular activating system, especially the pedunculopontine nucleus, in the symptoms of the disease. Recent discoveries on the physiology of the pedunculopontine nucleus help explain many of these disorders of arousal in, and point to novel therapeutic avenues for, schizophrenia.