Aperiodic neural activity distinguishes between phasic and tonic REM sleep
bioRxiv – August 08, 2024
Source: medRxiv/bioRxiv/arXiv
Summary
Did you know that REM sleep isn't just one uniform phase? This study reveals how aperiodic neural activity can distinguish between two types of REM sleep: phasic and tonic. By analyzing these patterns, researchers found significant differences in brain activity, alertness, and information processing, highlighting the complexity of our sleep.
Abstract
Introduction Traditionally categorized as a uniform sleep phase, rapid eye movement (REM) sleep exhibits substantial heterogeneity with its phasic and tonic constituents showing marked differences regarding neuronal network activity, environmental alertness and information processing. Here, we investigate how tonic and phasic states differ with respect to aperiodic neural activity, a marker of arousal levels, sleep stages, depth of sleep and sleep intensity. We also attempt to challenge the binary categorisation of REM sleep states by introducing graduality into their definition. Specifically, we quantify the intensity of phasic oculomotor events and investigate their temporal relationships with aperiodic activity.