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Spatiotemporal structure of REM sleep twitching reveals developmental origins of motor synergies.

ABSTRACT: During active (or REM) sleep, infant mammals exhibit myoclonic twitches of skeletal muscles throughout the body, generating jerky, discrete movements of the distal limbs. Hundreds of thousands of limb twitches are produced daily, and sensory feedback from these movements is a substantial driver of infant brain activity, suggesting that they contribute to motor learning and sensorimotor integration. It is not known whether the production of twitches is random or spatiotemporally structured, or whether the patterning of twitching changes with age; such information is critical for understanding how twitches contribute to development.We used high-speed videography and 3D motion tracking to assess the spatiotemporal structure of twitching at forelimb joints in 2- and 8-day-old rats. At both ages, twitches exhibited highly structured spatiotemporal properties at multiple timescales, including synergistic and multijoint movements within and across forelimbs. Hierarchical cluster analysis and latent class analysis revealed developmental changes in twitching quantity and patterning. Critically, we found evidence for a selectionist process whereby movement patterns at the early age compete for retention and expression over development.These findings indicate that twitches are not produced randomly but are highly structured at multiple timescales. This structure has important implications for understanding brain and spinal mechanisms that produce twitching, and the role that sensory feedback from twitching plays in sensorimotor system development. We propose that twitches represent a heretofore-overlooked form of motor exploration that helps animals probe the biomechanics of their limbs, build motor synergies, and lay a foundation for complex, automatic, and goal-directed wake movements.

SUBMITTER: Blumberg MS

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3823644 | biostudies-literature | 2013 Nov

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Spatiotemporal structure of REM sleep twitching reveals developmental origins of motor synergies.

Blumberg Mark S MS Coleman Cassandra M CM Gerth Ashlynn I AI McMurray Bob B

Current biology : CB 20131017 21

<h4>Background</h4>During active (or REM) sleep, infant mammals exhibit myoclonic twitches of skeletal muscles throughout the body, generating jerky, discrete movements of the distal limbs. Hundreds of thousands of limb twitches are produced daily, and sensory feedback from these movements is a substantial driver of infant brain activity, suggesting that they contribute to motor learning and sensorimotor integration. It is not known whether the production of twitches is random or spatiotemporall ...[more]

PMID: 24139739

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Project description:Study objectivesREM sleep behavior disorder (RBD) is associated with antidepressant treatment, especially in younger patients; but quantitative REM sleep without atonia (RSWA) analyses of psychiatric RBD patients remain limited. We analyzed RSWA in adults receiving antidepressants, with and without RBD.DesignWe comparatively analyzed visual, manual, and automated RSWA between RBD and control groups. RSWA metrics were compared between groups, and regression was used to explore associations with clinical variables.SettingTertiary-care sleep center.ParticipantsParticipants included traditional RBD without antidepressant treatment (n = 30, 15 Parkinson disease [PD-RBD] and 15 idiopathic); psychiatric RBD receiving antidepressants (n = 30); and adults without RBD, including antidepressant-treated psychiatric (n = 30), untreated psychiatric (n = 15), and OSA (n = 60) controls.InterventionsN/A.Measurements and resultsRSWA was highest in traditional and psychiatric RBD, intermediate in treated psychiatric controls, and lowest in untreated psychiatric and OSA controls (P < 0.01). RSWA distribution and type also differed between antidepressant-treated patients having higher values in anterior tibialis, and PD-RBD with higher submentalis and tonic RSWA. Psychiatric RBD had significantly younger age at onset than traditional RBD patients (P < 0.01).ConclusionsAntidepressant treatment was associated with elevated REM sleep without atonia (RSWA) even without REM sleep behavior disorder (RBD), suggesting that antidepressants, not depression, promote RSWA. Differences in RSWA distribution and type were also seen, with higher anterior tibialis RSWA in antidepressant-treated patients and higher tonic RSWA in Parkinson disease-RBD patients, which could aid distinction between RBD subtypes. These findings suggest that antidepressants may mediate different RSWA mechanisms or, alternatively, that RSWA type and distribution evolve during progressive neurodegeneration. Further prospective RSWA analyses are necessary to clarify the relationships between antidepressant treatment, psychiatric disease, and RBD.

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Spatiotemporal structure of REM sleep twitching reveals developmental origins of motor synergies.

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Spatiotemporal structure of REM sleep twitching reveals developmental origins of motor synergies.

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