Researchers at Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) and Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) have added another piece to the complex puzzle of how the brain controls one of the most essential functions, sleep.  The researchers state that activation of cholinergic neurons, those that release the neurotransmitter acetylcholine, in two brain stem structures was able to induce REM (rapid-eye movement) sleep in an animal model. Better understanding … Continue reading Optogenetics study identifies neurons important for induction of natural REM sleep.