# A medullary circuit controlling REM sleep

> **NIH NIH F31** · UNIVERSITY OF PENNSYLVANIA · 2020 · $45,520

## Abstract

PROJECT SUMMARY
Rapid eye movement (REM) sleep is a distinct brain state known for its association with vivid dreaming in
humans, though it is also crucial for other cognitive functions such as memory consolidation and emotional
processing. REM sleep is punctuated by short bursts of brain-wide electrical activity called ‘phasic events’,
which can be measured as spike-like field potentials (P-waves) in the pons and as transient ‘theta bursts’ in the
hippocampal EEG. A major knowledge gap in the field of REM sleep research lies in the identification of the
neural circuits underlying i) REM sleep initiation, and ii) generation of phasic events within REM sleep. My
early experiments in the Weber lab have suggested that a genetically distinct, heretofore unstudied population
of neurons in the dorsomedial medulla (dmM) expressing corticotropin releasing hormone (CRH) could be
important for both of these processes. I found that these novel dmM CRH+ neurons are selectively active
during REM sleep, and that their activity is correlated with phasic hippocampal theta bursts. Importantly,
optogenetic stimulation of the dmM CRH+ population promotes REM sleep in the mouse, suggesting that
these neurons are functionally involved in controlling one or more features of REM sleep. Viral tracing
experiments revealed CRH+ axons in the subcoeruleus area of the pons, which is the site of P-wave
generation, as well as the nucleus incertus, a pontine region involved in the brainstem generation of the
hippocampal theta rhythm. Given this preliminary data, I hypothesize that dmM CRH+ neurons are important
for regulating i) REM sleep initiation, and ii) phasic events within REM sleep, via downstream projections to the
pons. Aim 1 of my proposal will determine whether dmM CRH+ neurons promote REM sleep through
interactions with the nucleus incertus, and whether these behavioral effects are mediated by the CRH
neuropeptide itself. Aim 2 will test whether dmM CRH+ neurons are directly involved in generating pontine P-
waves during REM sleep. Overall, these studies will rigorously interrogate the role of a novel pontomedullary
circuit in REM sleep control, and elucidate the mechanisms by which the brainstem contributes to cognitive
processing during this unique sleep stage.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10067124
- **Project number:** 1F31HL154855-01
- **Recipient organization:** UNIVERSITY OF PENNSYLVANIA
- **Principal Investigator:** Amanda Schott
- **Activity code:** F31 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2020
- **Award amount:** $45,520
- **Award type:** 1
- **Project period:** 2020-09-01 → 2023-08-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10067124

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10067124, A medullary circuit controlling REM sleep (1F31HL154855-01). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-22 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10067124. Licensed CC0.

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