University of Toronto investigators conducted an experiment demonstrating that the area of the brain called the sublaterodorsal tegmental nucleus, or SLD— already known to induce muscle paralysis during REM sleep—can also trigger cataplexy.
“We manipulated the SLD in the brains of mice which allowed us to turn this circuit on or off,” says Peever. The researchers showed that when the SLD was deactivated, mice moved normally. When the SLD was activated, the mice became cataplectic – meaning they became completely immobile even though they were awake.
“Our experiment was the first clear demonstration that this area of the brain causes cataplexy,” says Peever. “It showed that the SLD has the capacity to decouple brain state and muscle tone during wakefulness.”
