Scientists Identify Neurons Linked to Sleep Drive in Mice

Researchers at the University of Basel in Switzerland have identified specific groups of neurons in the brains of mice that are activated after prolonged wakefulness, driving them to sleep. The study found that two distinct neuronal populations, GABAergic and serotonergic neurons, in the median raphe nucleus were increasingly activated the longer the animals stayed awake. When artificially activated, these neurons caused mice to sleep for twice or three times as long as control mice, and when inhibited, the mice slept about 70 per cent less. The findings could lead to new therapies for sleep-related conditions if a similar system exists in humans.