Research

Hormonal

Pontine cholinergic neurotransmission is a causal factor in generating the activated brain state of REM sleep, including motor atonia.

This is a basic science finding. It explains the neurobiology of REM sleep but does not directly translate to a specific intervention for the general public.

GoodSupportsHIGH confidence
These data demonstrate that pontine cholinergic neurotransmission participates in generating the activated brain state of REM sleep.
Ralph Lydic et al. · Anesthesiology · 2005

Why this rating

Based on extensive preclinical animal studies (cats, mice) and some human data.

Source

Sleep, Anesthesiology, and the Neurobiology of Arousal State Control

Ralph Lydic et al. · Anesthesiology · 2005

DOI 10.1097/00000542-200512000-00024

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DOI resolved against Crossref · corpus check 2026-06-10

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