This is a summary of "How the brain paralyzes you while you sleep" article on the website Science Daily. Please don't markdown on it. Professor Takeshi Sakurai and his Researchers at the University of Tsukuba had studied and found that a type of neuron that could help prevent narcolepsy, cataplexy, and rapid eye movement (REM) sleep. Narcolepsy is when one suddenly falls asleep and has drowsiness during the daytime. Cataplexy is when one feels their muscles significantly weaken without knowing which is usually triggered by strong emotions. In REM sleep, one is supposed to be still and not move around like we are in our dreams. The neurons that Professor Takeshi and his researchers had found that could prevent movement while sleeping was connected to SLD received input in a part of the brain called the ventral medial medulla.

They had tested to see what would happen if they silenced the SLD in a mouse with narcolepsy which had cataplexic attacks due to chocolate. They had found that it indeed reduced the number of cataplexic attacks. Because of the studies and research that were conducted, Professor Takeshi had found out that the glycinergic neurons that were found in the part of the brain could help people get rid of their narcolepsy, cataplexy, or REM sleep disorder. During the research connections to the muscle atonia were found which helps us understand how cataplexy could play a big part in later research. They are still yet to find what kind of emotions can trigger cataplexy so they know how the neurons could be affected.