Tohoku Study Finds REM Sleep Drains Neuronal ATP in 15 Mice as Brain Blood Flow Rises
Updated
Updated · Earth.com · Aug 19
Tohoku Study Finds REM Sleep Drains Neuronal ATP in 15 Mice as Brain Blood Flow Rises
2 articles · Updated · Earth.com · Aug 19
Summary
15 mice in a Tohoku University study showed a sharp drop in neuronal ATP during REM sleep even as brain blood flow increased, pointing to an energy drain during the stage tied to vivid dreams.
About 50 seconds before REM began, blood volume started rising from the retrosplenial cortex and spread forward, but ATP fell only after REM started while astrocyte pyruvate climbed.
The steepest ATP loss appeared in the retrosplenial cortex, a region linked to the hippocampus and spatial memory; neuronal ATP rebounded quickly after waking, while astrocyte pyruvate declined more slowly.
Researchers said the mismatch could reflect higher ATP use, weaker energy transfer from astrocytes to neurons, or a shift to faster but less efficient ATP production, with no single mechanism yet confirmed.
The mouse findings also caution against reading higher blood flow on fMRI as higher neuronal energy use during REM, and may inform research on sleep disorders and Alzheimer’s.