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. 1991 May 31;252(5010):1315-8.
doi: 10.1126/science.1925546.

Neuronal activity in narcolepsy: identification of cataplexy-related cells in the medial medulla

J M Siegel  1 , R Nienhuis, H M Fahringer, R Paul, P Shiromani, W C Dement, E Mignot, C Chiu
Affiliations

Neuronal activity in narcolepsy: identification of cataplexy-related cells in the medial medulla

J M Siegel et al. Science. .

Abstract

Narcolepsy is a neurological disorder characterized by sleepiness and episodes of cataplexy. Cataplexy is an abrupt loss of muscle tone, most often triggered by sudden, strong emotions. A subset of cells in the medial medulla of the narcoleptic dog discharged at high rates only in cataplexy and rapid eye movement (REM) sleep. These cells were noncholinergic and were localized to ventromedial and caudal portions of the nucleus magnocellularis. The localization and discharge pattern of these cells indicate that cataplexy results from a triggering in waking of the neurons responsible for the suppression of muscle tone in REM sleep. However, most medullary cells were inactive during cataplexy but were active during REM sleep. These data demonstrate that cataplexy is a distinct behavioral state, differing from other sleep and waking states in its pattern of brainstem neuronal activity.

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Figures

Fig. 1.
Fig. 1.
(A) Discharge pattern of a cataplexy-off cell. MCX, electroencephalogram from motor cortex; EOG, electro-oculogram; EMG, electromyogram from nuchal musculature; Unit, pulse output of window discriminator triggered by neuronal activity; NREM sleep, non-REM sleep. (B) Discharge patteren of a cataplexy-on cell.
Fig. 2.
Fig. 2.
Discharge rates in (A) cataplexy-off and (B) cataplexy-on cells during sleep, waiking, and cataplexy states. QW, quiet waking; AW, active waking; CAT, cataplexy; REM, REM sleep, NREM, non-REM sleep.
Fig. 3.
Fig. 3.
(A) Interspike interval histograms of a cataplexy-on cell as a function of state. The x axis is the Interspike interval in seconds; the y axis is the frequency of spikes separated by interval. SWS, slow wave sleep (non-REM sleep). (B) Cummulative histogram of the discharge of a cataplexy-on cell. Vertical line, point of a cataplexy onset. Lower trace shows a computer plot of the EMG during the period of the histogram.
Fig. 4.
Fig. 4.
Anatomical distribution of cataplexy-related cells. C4, C6, C7, C8, anterior-posterior levels from the atlas of Lim et al. (17). Filled circles, cataplexy-on cells; open circles, cataplexy-off cells, squares, cells not changing rate by >50% with cataplexy. IO, inferior olive; NGC, nucleus gigantocellularis; NMC, nucleus magnocellularis; PT, pyramidal tract; 7, facial nucleus.
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