Citation: Riganello F, Macrì S, Alleva E, Petrini C, Soddu A, Leòn-Carriòn J and Dolce G (2016) Pain Perception in Unresponsive Wakefulness Syndrome May Challenge the Interruption of Artificial Nutrition and Hydration: Neuroethics in Action. Front. Neurol. 7:202. doi: 10.3389/fneur.2016.00202 pain perception in Unresponsive Wakefulness Syndrome May Challenge the interruption of Artificial nutri...

Abstract Introduction Narcolepsy type 1 is caused by selective loss of orexinergic neurons, resulting in poor maintenance sleep and wakefulness, emergence cataplexy. Orexinergic neurons innervate many brain regions, specific narcolepsy symptoms likely arise from dysfunction distinct regions. Orexin 2 receptors (OX2R) are expressed nearly all wake- REM sleep-regulatory OX2R agonists improve mous...

Abstract Introduction Objective markers of insomnia have remained largely elusive. Odds ratio product (ORP; a marker objective sleep quality), is currently being investigated for potential role in assisting diagnosis. Recent research has shown how patients with may present hyperarousal and be identified by looking at ORP architecture. In the current study, we aimed to investigate architecture, ...

Drugs that potentiate transmission at GABA(A) receptors are widely used to enhance sleep and to cause general anesthesia. The mechanisms underlying these effects are unknown. This study tested the hypothesis that GABA(A) receptors in the pontine reticular nucleus, oral part (PnO) of mouse modulate five phenotypes of arousal: sleep and wakefulness, cortical electroencephalogram (EEG) activity, a...

The circadian timing system in mammals is thought to promote wakefulness and oppose sleep drive that accumulates across the activity phase in diurnal and nocturnal species. Whether the circadian system actively opposes compensatory sleep responses in mammals with episodes of alertness consolidated at dawn and dusk is unknown. In the present study, an interaction between circadian timed arousal ...

We investigated human hippocampal functional connectivity in wakefulness and throughout non-rapid eye movement sleep. Young healthy subjects underwent simultaneous EEG and functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) measurements at 1.5 T under resting conditions in the descent to deep sleep. Continuous 5 min epochs representing a unique sleep stage (i.e., wakefulness, sleep stages 1 and 2, or ...

Numerous studies dissecting the basic mechanisms that control sleep regulation have led to considerable improvement in our knowledge of sleep disorders. It is now well accepted that transitions between sleep and wakefulness are regulated by complex neurobiologic mechanisms, which, ultimately, can be delineated as oscillations between two opponent processes, one promoting sleep and the other pro...