rapid eye movement (REM) sleep
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Introduction
Skeletal atonia & rapid movement of eyes during sleep occasionally associated with dreams.
Pathology
- more rapid onset, especially < 30 minutes suggests pathology (depression, narcolepsy, circadian rhythm disorder, drug withdrawal)
- during REM sleep, the intercostal muscles are hyperpolarized & unavailable resulting in episodic noctural hypoventilation in patients who use accessory muscles for respirations[3]
- diminished REM sleep & longer REM sleep latency may be associated with increased risk for dementia[4]
Physiology
- 1st onset on REM sleep generally occurs in the 2nd hour of sleep
- REM & non-REM sleep alternate through the night with an average period of 90-110 minutes (ultradian cycle)
- overall REM sleep accounts for 20-25% of total sleep (50% in infants)
Diagnostic procedures
- electrophysiologic correlates of human REM sleep
- EEG: low amplitude, mixed frequency, theta waves & beta waves
- electrooculogram: rapid, conjugate
- electromyogram: absent
More general terms
Additional terms
References
- ↑ Harrison's Principles of Internal Medicine, 13th ed. Isselbacher et al (eds), McGraw-Hill Inc. NY, 1994, pg 163-165
- ↑ Harrison's Principles of Internal Medicine, 14th ed. Fauci et al (eds), McGraw-Hill Inc. NY, 1998, pg 153-154
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 Medical Knowledge Self Assessment Program (MKSAP) 15, American College of Physicians, Philadelphia 2009
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 Pase MP, Himali JJ, Grima NA et al Sleep architecture and the risk of incident dementia in the community Neurology 2017; 89:1-7 PMID: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/28835407