Hanna Antila

Guest Speaker: Dr. Hanna Antila, University of Helsinki, will present her latest work on the Locus Coeruleus (LC) Noradrenergic system and its relation to stress and sleep.

Host: Eus van Someren

Title: Mechanisms of disturbed sleep – the role of noradrenaline.

Abstract

Sleep is essential for our well-being, and disturbances in sleep can result in a wide range of negative outcomes affecting for instance emotional regulation and cognitive functions. Since stress is one of the main causes of sleep problems, we have utilized a mouse stress model to examine the neuronal mechanisms of sleep disturbances. We identified alterations in the activity of noradrenergic neurons during sleep as an important factor that contributes to the disrupted sleep structure. I will present findings about the role of noradrenaline in sleep regulation and discuss its implications. The overall goal of my just established lab is to identify neuronal networks and physiological mechanisms involved in the regulation of the sleep microarchitecture. Microarchitectural components determine the quality of sleep, therefore, understanding their regulation in more detail could help to find more effective therapeutic interventions for sleep problems.